Preconceived notions will get you every time waveriders,
even if those notions stem from extensive knowledge and experience. Case in point, the debut album Boy Thursday from the band Knives.
Through advance e-mailings I knew that this newly created musical entity
featured Mr. J Medeiros, a terrific hip-hop emcee I've been following for years,
on vocals and that the music produced could be categorized as rap rock. Being a fan of Mr. J Medeiros, rap music, and
rock 'n' roll I was awfully excited to hear the final product.
In my head I imagined I'd be listening to something
demonstrably similar to a band near and dear to my heart, Rage Against The
Machine. When Boy Thursday released however, I was thrown a curve ball. Yes there was rapid-fire lyric delivery over
aggressive metallic instrumentation but the musical direction Knives chose to follow took me by
surprise. These songs rely on a bedrock
of high octane hardcore punk, not the groovy mid-tempo blueprint of most rap
rock I've encountered. That said the
title track sounds strikingly similar to RATM's song "Wind Below",
only with more urgency.
Speaking of urgency I'm concerned that I have failed to
convey my enthusiasm for this fine album.
Boy Thursday is an
unrestrained jolt of electricity to my eardrums! All ten songs on the record are powerful but
a few stand out. "Sucker
Punch", "Figurehead Catacombs", "Give Me Air", and
"Wylin Inside" all blister with enough energy to rival a star
collapsing into supernova.
Waveriders, if you're looking for propulsive new tunes your
search has ended. Knives will readily galvanize anyone who comes into contact with Boy Thursday, their robust debut
album. Give this record a listen. You'll be glad you did!
-Penfold
Comments