Architects

Being a punk band and being a punk-influenced band are two separate entities that people do sometimes get confused. Bad Religion, now they’re a punk band. Architects, now they’re a punk-influenced band. Rising from the remains of the well-liked Gadjits, this four-piece would like to now be known for the work under the name Architects. But have they provided an effort worth being known for?

Yes, yes they have. And it’s one of those records that isn’t good for any specific reason you can put your finger on, it’s the unspoken, unnoticed things the band did that make this disc worth many a spin. The album honestly sounds like something I wouldn’t normally listen to, sounds like it could potentially be on alternative rock radio, but something’s different. There’s a real tenacity and fire in the vocals, a real honest blues-infused rock feel on the guitars -- the album has personality.

Now back to that punk influence I touched on earlier. It’s not everywhere, only in certain tracks, actually, but pieces of Rancid, pieces of Hot Water music can be found, in the anthemic vocals and scruffy delivery, respectively. It may not be much, but it’s enough to notice. Architects don’t employ the back-and-forth vocal styles that garnered Hot Water Music such a trademark, but I’d be a liar if I said that songs like “Bury My Heart in Lebanon” don’t remind of Chuck Ragan. The song has a solid mid-pace tempo, with some more explosive moments when the guitars splash back in after the bridge, and the structure never lets itself become boring.

“Body Armor” is a much more upbeat song, with the bass thumping and the guitarists working as a terrific team to create a harsh sound with some melodic roots. The “whoa oh oh"s at the end are a bit understated, but they do give one last push before the song is over. The record is full of good rock tunes with a lot of soul and attitude, and while it may be a far cry from the days of the Gadjits, these guys know what they’re doing.