STRETCH ARMSTRONG
Engage (Solid State Records)
Reviewed by Holly Day

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Ulysses S. Grant once said, "I know two tunes - one of them is Yankee Doodle, and the other one isn't." While I'm sure Stretch Armstrong will argue that they actually do know and play much more music than two songs, it's awfully hard to tell when listening to this disc. Not to sound like an old fogy or anything, but this is an awfully repetitive album. It's that old formula of fast guitar, shouted vocals, a break in the middle of the song for a melodic, slow interlude, etc., etc. This isn't a bad formula, but when it's delivered in such a worn-out-sounding, lackluster way, it's hard to get excited about one more band tackling this overused genre.

[Pick this up at www.smartpunk.com.]

© 2004 - Holly Day