Labels: self released
Review by: Vicki Aiken
This is such an interesting topic for an album. In a world where it hasn’t rained for 23 months, a man tries to make sense of his horrific situation. Abolitionist do a great job of expressing the rage, confusion, chaos and fear that would ensue if it just stopped raining. In a ten song narrative we see the worst of human behaviour under pressure, but also see how people maintain hope, and how they survive. It feels like stumbling into a barn in Fallout 3 and finding a bunch of punks playing a last, desperate gig because there’s nothing else they can do. Herron’s lyrics are sometimes simplistic and often practical, which adds to the immediacy of the message. It also makes the feelings being expressed seem authentic, despite the abstract concept of the album. It feels like the band are protesting against events happening now, but they leave the listener to make their own interpretation.
And what does it sound like? The ghosts of the Ramones, angrily invading the stage on the night CBGBs shut down.
The artwork is also fantastic.