The Radicals – “Suburban Daydream”
The Radicals are a group of sixties radical revolutionaries who once wanted to blow up society’s most cherished institutions- like banks, government offices and fro-gurt stores. Now, they have the same ideals but now the thought is to blow up the institutions of society by bombing it musically, ripping the musical conventions out by its roots and tearing them to shreds before our unbelieving eyes. Tossing musical Molotov cocktails into the musical mainstream without any regard for the tender, innocent ears they decimate. These Radicals are out to rip your ears off and stuff their subversive, fun, exciting, punk diatribes in with force and all the earwax combined until you spontaneously explode from all the aural delight.
This they do in such a passion and fashion on this cd that we should not only pardon their crimes against society, but celebrate their musical liberation from the proletariat and from the upper classes who enslave us all.
Viva La Radicals! They will liberate us from the musical tyranny that we so desire to break free from, they will illuminate a musical path, a beacon of light, that will encapsulate every one of our dreams; they will free us from the doctrines of Taylor Swift and Dave Matthews. They will deliver us a CD that’s- pretty darn good.
Geez, I have to rip the cover to get the goddamn cd out. I have no patience for physical limitations and there’s quite good artwork/drawings on the cover; so it’s a shame, it’s a damnable abomination. It starts out driving the speed limit with the drums marching along and the guitars quacking out two notes repeatedly, then it’s balls to the walls, warp speed with slashing guitars, rolling drums and emphatic vocals and we’re into the delirious delight of “What Happens To Me,” a great tune that sounds like an amphetamine heart attack or a mad rush toward oblivion, veering off the guardrail. Either way it sounds great to my ears and my heart and my scrotum as a ringing guitar lick pounces into the sides of us bashing away to lead us onward screaming bloody murder and drag us, gleefully, by our shirts to the finish line. The best tune on the CD.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/The Radicals – Suburban Daydream – 01 What Happens To Me.mp3|titles=What Happens To Me]
“The Value (Of Value)” starts out with a two-timing, double timing beat and then vocals choking on its own spite, a little like The Irish punk gargled vocals but this is too sporadic, spastic and hyperactive to be the same- like two much soda given to the kids in day care. “Where is the value in a three piece suit?” Two sets of vocals pushed to the extreme, a guitar buzzing in, splintering off in spirals by the end. I’m dripping spittle off my chin by the end of this, I’m all in a thither and I don’t want to twitter. Does this song sound like The Damned? “What happens to me anymore, I don’t care,” which, coincidentally, reflects how I feel, too.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/The Radicals – Suburban Daydream – 04 The Value (Of Value).mp3|titles=The Value (Of Value)]
“Six Foot Serenade” has blistering guitar, past the speed of sound which rips your head off at the start with the drums, valiantly, trying to keep pace. The vocals barrel in, trying to bring some peace, some semblance of reason to the proceedings but end up tossing gasoline on the flames. The guitar drops off to lend a melodic line but ends up running headlong into a wall. But by then the vocals bluster in with a sing-a- long, song-a-long, passionate plea. The drums then drop out, the guitar clangs a broken glass shard lead inviting the vocals in while the drums bring a tribal beat which sound great but then “We all end up six feet underground.”
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/The Radicals – Suburban Daydream – 06 Six Foot Serenade.mp3|titles=Six Foot Serenade]
On “Heartburn” the vocals come in nicely to start the song but the drums and guitars are having none of this and bum rush the song, pushing it along in a manic, frantic pace. “What have I got to lose? Never paid my dues.” This song goes along like a kid who has something to tell you and can’t wait to get it out of his brain. “I think I got it right this time,” the back-up vocals agreeing, the guitars and drums destroying and eliminating everything in sight. But hey, “What have I got to lose. In a brutal love,” or was it poodle love? “That I was the one to kill you tonight.” Killer song.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/The Radicals – Suburban Daydream – 03 Heartburn.mp3|titles=Heartburn]
The Radicals are out to destroy our system, our society and our musical system, as well. And though we are conservative, God fearing, child bearing, proud American men and women- we must not resist their relentless prowess of passion, purity and punk. We must accept it into our hearts and minds, our wombs and our loins and willingly, bear the fruit of its seed.
This is our destiny. This is our reality. This is our dreams or maybe, our dreams and nightmares rolled into one. This is the point where passion and power meet to prove a point or as Lou Reed says, “A passion that breaks reason in two.” This is a culmination of all we’ve worked for, desired, fought for, with our hearts, minds, scrotums and souls.
This is- a very good CD.
(Slimedog)
