Labels: No Idea Records
Review by: Joe Callaghan
I keep reading the band name as “Worn In Bed’ on first glance. That will bare no hindrance on the review, but I found it to be equally valid enough to share. Perhaps you’ll see it that way now too. It doesn’t matter. Just ignore it and listen to the record. Why? Because it’s good. That’s why. The press release said “RIYL” Drive Like Jehu and Planes Mistaken For Stars amongst others. I didn’t know what RIYL meant until now, but Worn In Red have a fair bit in common with those bands. All are made up of a 100% male line up. They are Caucasian males too; born in the North Hemisphere, and some will probably have some sort of facial hair. They all play in bands which comprises the core instruments involved in rock music, and all of which could fall under the “Punk Rock’ umbrella. That’s about it. They don’t have those grooving jangles and nasal whining of Jehu, and comparing bands to Planes is stupid anyway, since they could sound twinkly on one record and like Black Sabbath on another. None of that really going on here. It’s a bit of a cookie cutter hardcore punk record, but it has something about it that makes it stand on its own. It’s a little Glass & Ashes in its delivery, without the winding lead guitar, purely because the vocals are more of a gruff howl than a run of the mill grunt, as well as it being very much mid-paced. Worn In Red really don’t push the boat out in terms of hardcore dynamics, but there are glimpses of dark, brooding hooks which just command future listens without breaking barriers down. The production is forthright and unassailable, which gives the record a welcome slickness, but without getting too stadium rock like Strike Anywhere’s Exit English. Sometimes it seems to ache for a bit of a melody, or somewhere where the record can break down and breathe a little, but instead it’s balls-to-the-wall for the full half hour. That’s all well and good. I just like things to change up a little at least somewhere. Not to worry though, as it’s still all good. Pull up your shorts and get your devil-horns ready. Oi oi.