The Explosion
Red Tape E.P.

(Virgin)

First Appeared in The Music Box, October 2004, Volume 11, #10

Written by Brad Podray

There’s a new band called The Explosion with an outing titled Red Tape E.P., and both the name of the group and the title of its debut superficially seem to say it all. Yes, this is yet another introductory set from a punk act that can be filed under "The." This scene, unfortunately, is becoming all too familiar, and the preconceptions that come with it are beginning to become problematic — so much so that most reviews presumably will veer from discussing the music into providing a leftist rant about the state of the world. The good news, fortunately, is that The Explosion managed to craft a fairly tight, 3-track set that successfully demonstrates its talents. In essence, its music is a very honest type of rock, free of the pretentiousness that has been tormenting new collectives much like the Black Death harried Europe all those years ago. Ah, if only pretentiousness alone would actually shrink the oversupply of talent-less hacks currently rummaging around the airwaves, there might be some hope for the future. Still, the first two songs (Here I Am and Filthy Insane) on Red Tape E.P. are solid, sounding as if Good Charlotte was recast as a functional ensemble with a decent singer. Likewise, The Explosion’s musicianship is entertainingly full of exuberance, and the melodies, though simple, are infectious — certain to please punk fans while making the punk haters feel, at least a slight bit, guilty for being skeptical. Ironically, the only drawback of the collection is a tune titled, well, The Drawback. Apparently, the song was written and captured in three takes on the final night of the band’s recording session, and quite frankly, it shows. With only a trio of tracks from which to choose, it’s difficult to say how representative Red Tape E.P. will be of Black Tape, The Explosion’s forthcoming full-length outing. The optimists will likely hope it is closer to Here I Am and Filthy Insane; the realists will likely believe it won’t be any better than the efforts being peddled by any of the other bands with names that begin with "The." ½

Ratings

1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!

Copyright © 2004 The Music Box