by Anna Solomon (@chateau.fiasco)
There’s no title track on Rid of Me’s Access to the Lonely, but it opens with a song named after the band as a whole. I can’t say if “Rid of Me” was intended to be the Philadelphian quartet’s theme song, but I also can’t think of a better way for them to kick off their sophomore album. By the time the brooding and sparse guitar opening forms into the furious stomp of the chorus, they’ve shown off the rumbling fuzzed bass guitar, intricate drumming, and roaring vocals that make the record impossible to ignore from start to finish.
Access to the Lonely is certainly aggressive, but it lashes in a way that’s too carefully considered to be pure rage. Sure, “Libertarian Noise Rock” flies off the handle, with a shredding 80s thrash metal guitar solo from World Below’s Alex Cheskis, but many of the album’s best moments are more patient. The sludgy groove of “Cut” gives way to the menacing post rock of “Pavement,” which thrives off its crawling pace and dynamic lurches to become possibly the heaviest track on a record that’s not wanting for heaviness. But Rid of Me are mindful not get too bleak for too long, with upbeat alt-rockers like “How You Say It Is” dotted throughout the record.
While it only runs a tight 37 minutes, Access to the Lonely is still a dense and punishing affair. Bassist/vocalist Itarya Rosenberg, drummer Mike Howard, and guitarists Mike McGinnis and Jon DeHart poured their frustration into every track, and by closer “The Weekend,” they sound more exhausted than anything else. The odd and dissonant guitar harmonies and characteristically pummeling rhythm section prevent it from sounding too much like a ballad, but there’s undeniably something heartbreaking in bassist/vocalist Rosenberg’s exasperated cry of “I just can’t make it, myself good enough.” Rid of Me have enough raw feeling to break through the noise, which is all the more impressive given how much noise they’re making.
Speaking about the record, Rosenberg shared:
“I don't know if I'm very good at explaining this kind of thing, heads up. I think all four of us as musicians and artists subscribe to a certain ideology that carries through all of our lives. I think the record's sound, topics, vibes, are pretty much who we are as people. Our inspirations, our banter, what we are going through. Human shit. It's very much our human shit.”
Tour Dates:
12/06 - Richmond, VA @ Gallery5 w/ Prayer Group *
12/07 - Washington, DC @ Pie Shop w/ Death Pose *
12/08 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church w/ Cherubs & Death Pose *
12/09 - Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus Bar w/ Cherubs, Local H, Death Pose, & Primitive Weapons *
* w/ Kowloon Walled City