REVIEWS:
A really cool Clash tribute band, or at least that's what critics like to think. Vocalist Tim Armstrong is admittedly too similar to Clash frontman Joe Strummer, but Rancid tended to have a heavier, faster, defiant, more 'modernized', although not necessarily better, sound early on in their career before adding elements of ska to the mix. Their lyrics are intelligent and clever, the melodies are really catchy, and they can boast a very accomplished bass player in Matt Freeman. I've heard two of their albums, Let's Go (which is a great nihlistic punk album - I'd review it, but it got way too scratched up to listen to on my trip to NYC, so I haven't heard it in a very long time) and ...And Out Come The Wolves.
--Nick Karn
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
Earlier Rancid releases had a much more pronounced, defiant, punk style to them, lyrically and musically hard, and while ...And Out Come The Wolves still has some of that edge left, it's basically a collection of 19 for the most part well written short pop punk songs with clever and socially meaningful lyrical twists and turns. They're a bit better here than your average 'alternative era' songwriters, however, and that's apparent in the tight, direct and short opener "Maxwell Murder", which has an incredible bass solo midway through. The hooks are very singable, as the singles "Time Bomb" and "Ruby Soho" prove (great streetwise commentary there too).
"Olympia WA" (which has the best chorus), "The War's End" (a great parent and young hopeful rock star kid anthem), "Disorder And Disarray" (nice defiant attitude), "Old Friend" (a great example of the incorporation of ska here), and "Journey To The End Of The East Bay" (which has more remarkable bass work) are other fine examples of the album's successful 'to the point' songwriting qualities. It's not quite one of the best albums of the 90s as some may like to claim - the songs begin to sound increasingly similar near the end, the material is hardly groundbreaking at all, and it's way too long for a punkish release anyway (48 minutes), but it's definitely enjoyable overall.
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