Vol. 4 of
Sub City's
Take Action! series continues the fight against suicide, teaming with the National Hopeline Network and providing contact information for the organization in the liner notes. Disc one even starts with a message from
Andrew W.K. encouraging anyone thinking of suicide to call and get help.
Take Action! Vol. 4 also includes a host of suicide prevention tools, from a downloadable book to a depression screening tool. Musically, it's a solid mix of
punk and
hardcore revivalism, louder and softer variations of
emo, some
alt-metal, and a few
indie pop tracks.
NOFX contributes the previously unreleased
"Concerns of a GOP Neo-Phyte" (reflecting their newfound anti-government sloganeering), while
Fat Wreck Chords cowpunkers Against Me! work through an acoustic version of their
"You Look Like I Need a Drink." Shadows Fall (
"Power of I and I") and
Mastodon (
"March of the Fire Ants") put a thick
metal coating on the core of disc one, while L.A.'s
Side One Dummy Records brings listeners the harmony-laden
punk-pop of
Go Betty Go's
"C'mon" and the considerably more raucous
Briggs.
Take Action!'s second disc includes unreleased material from
punk-poppers Brandtson,
post-hardcore experimentalists Brazil, and an alternate version of
RUFiO's
"Don't Hate Me." Roses Are Red's
Get Up Kids-ish "White and Gold" is a highlight, as is
"Midnight in Shanghai," from artsy
emo Oregonians
Kaddisfly.
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists'
"Six Months in a Leaky Boat," Pedro the Lion (the lush, literate
"Discretion"), and
Now It's Overhead provide an
indie rock counterpoint, and
Detachment Kit's scraggly
post-punk epic
"The Race" works well next to
Despistado's manically
pop "A Stirsticks Prediction." With its effective cross section of genres, bands, and labels,
Take Action! Vol. 4 offers something for every fan. It's the disc's hope to raise awareness of such an important issue that makes it essential. ~ Johnny Loftus
