Accessible Punk!
Rancid are one of those bands that people think are a lot heavier than they actually are. Up there are being one of the flag-bearers of modern Punk, Mohawks, shaved heads and tattoos, with lyrics that speak of drink, drugs, gangs and fighting, it’s easy to see why, however whilst there was a raw Punk edge to the band’s first few albums, there has always been a Rock’N’Roll meets Ska backdrop to the band. Rancid are a band that have evolved through their influences: The Clash, Two Tone bands, The Pogues, whilst being hugely influential: Time Again, Left Alone, Orange, Strawberry Blondes, to name but a handful.
So having taking a little break since previous album, 2003’s ‘Indestructible’, the band return with their 7th studio album. Although to say that the band have taken a break isn’t quite right, what with Lars Frederiksen releasing his second solo album ‘Viking’ in 2004, Tim’s side project The Transplants released their second album ‘Haunted Cities’ in 2005, then his own solo album, ‘A Poet’s Life’ in 2007, whilst contributing to many other albums and songs especially other Hellcat Records bands like Time Again, Left Alone and Orange.
Without wanting to accuse Rancid of mellowing, the contrast between ‘Let The Dominoes Fall’ and 2000’s self titled album are quite large. On this album we have one true Punk/Hardcore song of ‘This Place’ that is a short-sharp-shot of fast-paced snarling Punk, whereas on the aforementioned 2000 album 16 of the 22 songs were under 2 minutes and bordering on Hardcore-Punk, with the other 6 tracks still being lacking of melody and at feverish pace. Here we even have a slow song thrown into the mix. ‘Civilian Ways’ is a stripped back Country-Folk ballad a little like the Pogues with a slide-guitar, and then ‘The Highway’ is a catchy-Rock song, that speeded up could be an anthem. There are other laid-back tunes like the Ska-fused Punk of ‘Liberty And Freedom’ that could easily have been on Tim’s solo album, and it's his album that has a big influence on a number of tracks here. ‘I Ain’t Worried’ has the trumpet and keyboard backdrop with Tim’s deeper vocal onslaught, whereas ‘That’s Just The Way It Is’ has a clash of Ska, Dub and Rock…
There are the usual Rock’N’Roll influences that Lars brings to the band in ‘Disconnected’ where his raspy vocals singing out loud, and the fantastic catchy Rock of ‘New Orleans’, and then the dark Rock of ‘LA River’ whereby we get some ‘Boom shakka lakka, lakka, lakka. Boom // Shimmie, shimmie, Shake, Shimmie Shake, shimmie, shimmie, shimmie!” something I’d never had thought that I’d hear from Lars! Ha ha. There is some great guitar work here though. Then with Tim back singing we have ‘Skull City’ that has a Rock’N’Roll sing-a-long chorus, and a classic mid-tempo Rancid verse.
Elsewhere in on the album we have the opener of, ‘East Bay Night’ that has chugging guitars and almost harmonies in the chorus. It’s a great start. ‘Up To No Good’ is a Ska-influenced track with some nice counting from 1-8. It’s a bit like a slower ‘Timebomb’ and could be a future single. This takes us to the current single, ‘Last One To Die’ which is classic Rancid. Big riffs, mid-paced Punk in the verse and sing-a-long chorus. It’s another good solid song. ‘Damnation’ is slightly more raw, whilst ‘The Bravest Kids’ could be them covering an Offspring song.
‘Lulu’ is them at their best managing to have straight-to-the-point lyrics and fast guitars in the verse, whereas this is contrasted in the simple and almost innocent words of, “lulu” of the chorus. The guitars and keyboards duplicate the riffs in the anthem of, ‘Dominoes Fall’, before another sing-a-long Punk Rock song of, ‘You Want It, You Got It’, and there are hyperactive marching drum beats in, ‘Locomotive’ to finish things up.
There is no doubting that the band’s 1995 album, ‘Out Come The Wolves’ is considered their best, so here with ‘Let The Dominoes Fall’ you have a more easily accessible Rancid album than we’ve had in many years. Whilst it’s too early to consider this better than, ‘Out Come The Wolves’, it could very well be. Yes, there is no ‘Ruby Soho’ here, but there are enough songs that grow better and better with each listen.
To conclude, for true great Street Punk, Rancid seem to have moved slightly away from this, with bands like Strawberry Blondes, The Briggs and Left alone having released albums that are more Punk Rock. However Rancid are the kings of Ska-Rock’n’Roll influenced Punk, and whilst they are more softcore than hardcore, arguably there is more musical depth now then there has before, and surely that’s progress?