by Nathan Cardiff
Post Teen Drama is soundtrack worthy; the title track that opens the record is a barrage of hammering drums, loud guitars, and just the right amount of drone. It’s an experiment in avant-garde rock and a successful one at that.
Bad Kids To The Front are bold, wild, eclectic, and weird; a refreshing and unflinching band that seemingly don’t give a damn about what anyone thinks. They love music for music’s sake and it’s evident before you even listen to the album (if you look at the runtime); two tracks are nearly a half-hour a piece, another near twenty minutes, and two more are just short of ten minutes in length. And that’s half of the record’s tracklist. Drew Smith is no stranger to experimental music and Bad Kids To The Front lets him and his gang of top-notch musicians go crazy; the ambient underscore is like an open prairie before them, where they have complete control of the chaos they unleash on it. “Millions of Stars” (the first of the almost 30 minute songs) is like an infinite sky with bursts of energy appearing organically. Nothing is forced or rushed, the songs take shape in a beautifully choreographed manner.
The group doesn’t just specialize in lush instrumental rock though, they have their fair share of fun, garage inspired songs (“Experimentation in Alleyways” & “I’m Way Too Antisocial For Parties” (a contender for best song title of the year, in my book)). The psychedelic jam “Run, Rabbit, Run” sounds like a fever dream that haunts you for the rest of your day; the screeching guitar and creepy keys will crawl into your head. The interlude “Digital Death” lets us slowly transition to the jumpy and spastic “The Sun Rises In A Glitter of Color,” which may be the all-out rocker on the record. The drums smash through the ferocious guitars and vice versa; a hard-hitting jam that will have you head-banging in no time flat.
I’m not sure what the future of Bad Kids To The Front will hold (Drew Smith is leaving the area), but Post Teen Drama is a stellar album featuring a regular all-star team of local talent (I’ll let you check the liner notes yourself). It wants to be uncategorized and at the same time isn’t pretentious. A rare feat, but it sure as hell succeeds.
Favorite Tracks: “Experimentation in Alleyways,” “Run, Rabbit, Run,” & “The Sun Rises In A Glitter of Color”
by Nathan Cardiff