A Poet's Life in Bloomington, MN

Anyone looking for the
punk
rock
sound of
Rancid
on
Tim Armstrong
's first solo album,
A Poet's Life
, might be left wondering where the loud guitars and charging tempos have gone. Instead with able backing from L.A.
reggae
revivalists
the Aggrolites
,
Armstrong
has crafted a grooving, fun-filled modern
album, influenced by
ska
rock steady
roots reggae
, and
dancehall
and filtered through a modern
pop
-
attitude. The sound of the record (nimble, jumped-up, and retro but fully modern) impresses instantly, but as the record goes on,
's voice emerges as the star. His raspy croon, staccato toasting, and ragged shout fit the
sound surprisingly well. Sure,
always had a huge Jamaican influence, but erasing all traces of
from the sound is a risk. The first four songs will erase any doubts about that risk paying off and just might have you thinking the record's going to be a no-holds-barred classic.
"Wake Up"
is a rollicking, dubby warning to a friend to shape up,
"Hold On"
rides a wobbly organ line and a huge hook,
"Into Action"
is a slamming
song featuring vocals from
teen pop
punkette
Skye Sweetnam
of all people, and the
ballad
"Translator"
is a sick-hearted but determined ode to perseverance with a brilliant
vocal. The second half fades a bit as the lyrical clunkers add up;
falls into cliche on
"Take This City"
and dives headlong into inanity on
"Oh No,"
where he professes his love of L.A., nightlife, and
rock & roll
. Still, tunes like the silly but sweet love song
"Lady Demeter"
and the righteous
"Inner City Violence"
(which brings some necessary blood and fire to the proceedings) make up for the minor stumbles, and the whole record ends up being quite enjoyable.
may not exactly be a poet, but anyone who's heard any
knows he makes great records. Now we know he can do it on his own. ~ Tim Sendra