As We Go

Stumble & Stand

Written by: PP on 24/01/2017 21:32:23

Raw, shouty punk rock with rough, unpolished production and plenty of anthemic melodies to sing along to? Sign me up. Red City Radio may well have moved on from similarly unrefined basement punk ethos to something a little more ambitious on later albums, but newcomers As We Go from Cologne, Germany are ready to take their place with their debut album "Stumble & Stand". It relies on tried and tested elements: woo-hoo passages, scratchy vocals, melodically ringing guitars, a buzzing, and high-octane atmosphere, but it uses these skillfully to capture the essence of the modern punk rock scene, Midwestern or otherwise. It's all about the melodies and the sing-alongs, in other words.

Other than the prevalent Red City Radio influence, the album recalls Living With Lions, who released a similarly emotive and uplifting record "Holy Shit" characterized by its depth and mid-tempo punk/emo anthems sung with equal passion and knack for memorable catchphrases about love, relationship and the like. Likewise, the As We Go record is jam-packed with moments that'll have you chanting along from first listen. "You Need Love", is simplistic, but darn effective in its lyrical repetition. Opener "All Things Fall Apart" is upbeat and infectiously catchy, and does a perfect job in introducing the dominant vocal style of the record: a rough-around-the-edges, gravelly roar that crackles in just the right places while still delivering memorable hooks left and right. "All About You, All About Me (With All)" is a great example that refuses to be forgotten. The eponymous track "As We Go" is charming and buzzing with passion, creating a party atmosphere but one that carries just enough depth to have longevity beyond the first few listens.

The initial listens to "Stumble & Stand" will inevitably defy its underlying strength. The melodies, while simplistic, have more to offer than what their surface suggests, but then again, they are using exactly the same building blocks as Red City Radio's debut album did (just listen to "She Was Perfect", for instance). As such, "Stumble & Stand" remains one of the most under-appreciated, emotionally-charged punk rock albums from 2016 that you should get into right now. Because if the takeaway is anything from the record, it is that As We Go will be on the lips of everyone by the time they release their next album. A perfect midpoint between Red City Radio and Living With Lions, what more could you ask for?

8

Download: You Need Love, As We Go, All Things Fall Apart, All About You All About Me (With All), She Was Perfect
For the fans of: Red City Radio, Living With Lions, Misser
Listen: Facebook

Release date 19.08.2016
Redfield Records

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