Review: The Frantic - Audio And Murder

Posted on 22 February 2008 | 1 Comment

Filed Under: Album Reviews, Just Plain Rock

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Generally I don’t waste my time writing negative reviews, but… The Frantic is from Chicago so I should have at least some hometown affinity for them right? Nope. Their album Audio And Murder is terrible. It starts off bad and stays that way throughout. And even though the pretentious opening where the band screams, “We’re The Frantic! Who the fuck are you?” is embarrassing enough, it actually gets worse. If I had a category for “shit” I’d tag this as such.

On Audio And Murder The Frantic comes across as the spoiled and retarded cousins of Rancid (no offense Rancid) combined with some amateurish local band that doesn’t have a single meaningful thing to say. Sure the band is young, but the music is more juvenile than their ages. The lyrics are on par with things that most 4th graders would write and are both mean-spirited and contradictory at times. Normally simplistic lyrics are fine, but it gets ridiculous when I can finish every lyrical couplet before the band does.

The music is generic no frills sorta rock-n-roll meets pop punk that is just plain boring. If The Frantic was trying to come off like The Ramones, they’ve failed miserably. Instead of endearing geeky outcast misfits like The Ramones, The Frantic come off as dumb and self-centered. Their shtick moves past confident into the realm of annoyingly cocky. It’s like listening to the drunk frat guy at the party who just doesn’t know when to shut up.

Sure there are the requisite “na na na’s” and “whoa oh’s,” but everything (and I mean everything) on Audio And Murder sounds like crap. Even the pedal steel guitar (which I would normally applaud) on the token country-infused ballad sounds disingenuous. Either this record is a joke or this is pop-punk hell.

MP3 | The Frantic – Heifer Audio And Murder
MP3 | The Frantic – Fast Girl Audio And Murder

Comments

1 nicolle - 269 days ago i think they're the kind of band who i wouldn't throw things at if they opened for a band i knew i liked, because the crappy sound in the bar would drown out everything they had to say. the music isn't particularly creative, but is inoffensive enough in my book that i'd just ignore it, hold my spot in the crowd, bob my head a little, and wait for sometone else to take the stage.

but, would i buy their album or count myself as a fan? nope. they definitely have some growing up to do, and really nothing interesting or clever to say yet.