SOS - A Guide To Better Living |
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Trash doesn't come any white than this! Wrestling fans SOS from NYC are proud to have the sweaty wifebeater shirt flying on a hockey stick, underlining all the prejudices and clichés of poor white Americans. Their music, while never truly original, nevertheless reflects perfectly the concept behind the band. Located somewhere between rock'n'roll, punk rock and heavy metal, SOS don't give a damn about current trends. From beginning to end, this is an musical non-stop journey through a rock'n'roll trailer park. With the subtlety of a Kid Rock and a vocalist who sounds like a younger James Hetfield, SOS are entertaining their audience throughout the album, although at times they lack a certain homogeneity. The positive is that they really seem to do what they like, without any outside pressure (they even own their label), but the negative makes it hard for the uninitiated to listen to seventeen songs (one hour of music) without interruption. SOS are best on their shorter punk songs (Star Killers, Hopeless, No Miracle) and even surprise me with an unexpected waltz (Venice), but in the long run there are just too many songs, documenting the four-year break the band took since their last album. As A Guide To Better Living is sold very cheaply (8$ at CDBaby, for instance), people who can imagine NYHC people with a sense of humour or rock'n'roller with a definite punk edge will certainly get their amusement out of this slightly unoriginal, yet strangely enticing album. |