The Interrupters – Say It Out Loud

Hellcat Records

 

It’s over 92 degrees Fahrenheit outside, officially the hottest day of the year so far, and I am literally burning through the day. Since I’m not used to this kind of heat, it would be better to keep calm and do as little as possible, but it’s also a good opportunity to write a review on a sunny, ska(-related) album. Since I’ve been listening to the new The Interrupters LP, “Say It Out Loud”, for a couple of days in a row now, the choice was easy.

 

With its punk influences, “Say It Out Loud” obviously isn’t your typical traditional, two-tone or even third wave ska record. Ska-punk that, with a little bit of imagination, could have easily been translated into a Rancid album as well. Of course Tim Armstrong is (still) heavily involved with The Interrupters through engineering, producing, mixing, releasing and a little bit of singing, so it’s only natural that his influences shine through, just as they did on the band’s self-titled debut LP.

 

But before I start to make it sound like something I mind, I absolutely don’t! Vocalist Aimee Allen’s fantastic, raw-ish (Lint is gonna hate this) Brody-like vocals, gets complimented by both the upbeat ska rhythms and the passionate, fist-clenching punk anthems the Bivona family (the remaining trio in the band) kicks out! Melody-heavy and extremely contagious from the skankin’ sing-along “By My Side” (opening track) to the streetpunk fury of “Loyal” (final track), “Say It Out Loud” is absolutely a fun, feel-good kind of record, though the topics Aimee and the Bivona’s (I wonder if that was ever an option as the band's name...) handle beg the differ as they vary from subjects as domestic violence to fabricated media lies.

 

I’m not sure if you readers will enjoy this record as much as I do, but if you like Rancid and are a fan of female-fronted punk bands, I can hardly imagine that you won’t!