Beach Slang frontman James Alex sums up his entire career on “Ride the Wild Haze” with the line, “I feel most alive when I’m listening to every record that hits harder than the pain.” His voice ragged by heartbreak and too many nights out, Alex (formerly of under-appreciated ’90s punks Weston) sings with the urgent message that music literally saved his life. (He’s known for saying things in interviews like “I’m still the kid who believes rock ‘n’ roll can change the world” and meaning them 100 percent). And if his Philadelphia-based punk band’s debut, “The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us,” hits you the right way, it might change yours too.
After releasing two stunning EPs, Beach Slang proved that it easily could channel the stadium-filling, shout-along anthems of early Goo Goo Dolls (yes, that band was way more than “Iris”), the unwavering aggression of Jawbreaker and the boozy yet beautiful turns of phrase of the Replacements. Despite not borrowing any songs from those previous releases, “TTWDTFPWFLU” (good luck pronouncing that acronym) maintains their ripping immediacy and fist-raising lyrics and doubles down on what made the band so buzzed-about in the first place: wailing walls of distortion, Alex’s bracingly raspy delivery and a whole bunch of tried-and-true punk touchstones.
For instance, opener “Throwaways” follows the trajectory of basically every punk song ever: Alex defiantly talks about leaving his shithole town (“It’s a dead-end town for trash like us, but I got a full tank and a couple bucks”). While that’s well-trodden territory, it rules (see also: “Young and Alive,” which exclaims, “Go punch the air with things you write”). The only time there isn’t the constant buzz of fuzzy guitars is the acoustic “Too Late To Die Young.” It’s a needed change of pace but introduces saccharine synths and keyboards that venture dangerously close to all-out sappiness, proving that Beach Slang is best when it stays punk.
However, as Alex yelps, “I’m always that kid always out of place/I try to get found/But I’ve never known how” on highlight “Bad Art and Weirdo Ideas,” it’s obvious this is music for outcasts by outcasts. If you’ve never found solace in the youthful recklessness and emotional catharsis of punk, this may not be the record for you. If you’re a cynic, Alex’s unflinching earnestness may come off as cheesy sloganeering. But if the loud guitars and heart-on-sleeve optimism resonate, you’ll be screaming another one of the lines from “Bad Art and Weirdo Ideas” like a true believer: “Don’t whisper now. We’re allowed to be loud.”
3.5 stars (out of four)
In concert: Nov. 21 at Subterranean
[email protected], @joshhterry
For more music, click here.
Want to learn how to brew beer or make an awesome cocktail? Click here to teach yourself through the RedEye Skillz page.