THE JANUARY TAXI
Keep Quiet, They Might Hear Us (Vacant Cage)
Reviewed by Erick Mertz

---

Contra to any other indications (say packaging or song titles) the music of The January Taxi is sanitary, frat styled pop punk made famous (and cliche too, for that matter) by acts like Blink-182. It is the kind of punk your Mother might like because she heard it on The OC, or your little brother can sing along too because it sounds so clean - although don't let Mom hear junior singing about cigarettes and 4am eyes with ladies. Those subjects are too salacious for mid-dial.

There is a niche for this type of three chord punk, but it has nothing to do with a real punk crowd; this punk crowd might mistake the Ramones for a Mexican restaurant. To crown the January Taxi kings of anything, it would be the ordinary regality of recycled musicianship. Let us hope with hands held collectively that they do "keep quiet" as the album title suggests.

Letting the cat out of this noxious bag won't be good for anyone.

© 2005 - Erick Mertz