Randy is a punk rock band from Sweden that are best known for their releases on Fat Wreck Chords. They started in 1992, playing fast melodic punk in the same vein as early Propagandhi, Lagwagon, and NOFX. With a couple of releases under their belt, they decided to record their debut album in 1994. There’s No Way We’re Gonna Fit In was released on Dolores Recordings, and it’s a promising debut by the melodic punkers. They would eventually change their sound quite a bit, but here they stick to their skate punk roots. There’s a strong political message in most of the songs, and they pen a few classic tracks.
Most punk bands start off with a raw and sloppy debut record. Randy sound like complete professionals here, and their playing is super tight. The riffs are insane by punk standards, especially on tracks like “Take ‘Em Where You Can Get ‘Em” and “Realtypified”. “Humanalogism” starts the album off, and defines it perfectly. A great chorus with great harmonies similar to Bad Religion. Three vocalists sing on the album, which give off three different points of view. Bassist, Patrik Trydvall sings the most songs. He wrote some of the best Randy songs, and some of the most unnecessary. Songs like “Nothing More Than Everything” and “Religion, Religion” are classic tracks, while songs like “Sucks On” and “Shovel That Snow” aren’t very good. They still provide interesting riffs and lyrics, though. There was even a music video for the Randy classic “Education for Unemployment, Lesson 1”. It’s one of the best songs on the album, and a punk rock anthem. Vocalist Stefan Granberg thinks we should make our goals more natural to achieve, and instead of believe in God, politics, and war, we should do something better together. Randy is known for their great solos, and the ending solo in “More of That Miserable Misery” is one of their best. The opening solo in “T-Minus Five Seconds” sounds similar to the solo in “Perfect Government” by NOFX. The album ends with “Row Boat John”, which has a bit of a ska influence. It has a great bass riff, but it doesn’t feel like a proper ending.
This album is exactly what I expect from a young band’s debut. It’s got some great songs, and some mediocre songs. It won’t go down in history like other Randy classics, but it’s still worth listening to. With the exception of “I’m Such a Warm-Hearted Person”, the first ten songs on the album are great. Intricate riffs with great harmonies, and tight drumming. It’s the songs that come after those that need some work. There’s something strangely likable about “Whatever” and “12 Cans”, though. They’re not as good as the first ten, but they have a certain attitude to them, that only Pat could pull off. Randy really perfected the melodic punk sound with The Rest is Silence, which is the album that came after this one. While it’s not all amazing, it’s still fun to listen to young political punks, and what they have to say. The passion is real.