"Unifying and addictive – those are the descriptors that seem to follow The Interrupters from album to album. The SoCal band are apex exponents of second wave ska-punk, but on a deeply human level, they mean way more than that. Genre goes out the window; heart and personality comes steaming in. Their energetic, sauna-hot live shows have felt more like family gatherings than gigs, and while always unusually heartfelt, the themes in their songs have never been as honest or as raw as on their 4th album.
Brought crashing back to basics by the pandemic, the downtime gave singer Aimee Interrupter the space she needed to confront her difficult past – subjects she’d hinted at via upbeat fight songs like Title Holder, but never truly explored. The other factor that’s ended up putting "In The Wild" into its own space is that for the first time – again due to lockdown – Rancid legend Tim Armstrong was unable to produce. This put guitarist Kevin Bivona into the producer’s chair, making him “the accountable one”, as he put it.
The differences are there – which, when you’re seeking to break new ground, is as it should be. Kevin’s sound is slightly bulked up from the more sparing, comparatively stripped back bones that Tim would seek to rattle. But more importantly, on most of these 14 songs, Aimee opens up about her troubled youth, the sometimes abusive past that dragged her into a whirlpool of social anxiety, depression and obsessive behaviours such as trichotillomania (pulling out hair)...
What makes The Interrupters (completed by twin brothers, drummer Jesse and bassist Justin Bivona) so special, and their formula so darn difficult to replicate, is that while Aimee’s lyrics are unflinching and painful, the music that accompanies them is bouncy and bright, a rallying call for togetherness – a unified spirit that simply says ‘we’ll get through it together’.
For anyone that’s ever been singled out or made to feel alone, you’re not; you’re actually part of a peaceful army, and "In The Wild" is a record for you.
Rating: 4/5 For fans of: Rancid, The Distillers, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones" - Kerrang!
Clear With Blue Smoke Vinyl Pressing
*Please note - image is a mock up only, actual colours may vary on finished product*
Tracklisting
Side A:
1. Anything Was Better
2. As We Live
3. Raised By Wolves
4. In The Mirror
5. Kiss The Ground
6. Jailbird
7. The Hard Way
Side B:
1. My Heart
2. Let 'Em Go
3. Worst For Me
4. Burdens
5. Love Never Dies
6. Afterthought
7. Alien
