Kicked in the Head
“Thick as Thieves”
(Resurrection A.D.)
Picture the Mighty Mighty Bosstones without as many horns and the intermittent funkyness. Kicked in the Head offer happy little hardcore anthems, sharp guitar production and lots of catchy hooks. Also picture At the Drive-in and their Fugazi-influenced flavors. I’m not comparing Kicked in the Head directly to these bands, but attempting to give a road map, a place for you to delve into and understand the sounds of the band. Kicked in the Head doesn’t go uninfluenced by their Boston area hardcore scene, but neither are they content to be just another hardcore band. The songs rock out with a catchy infectiousness that a listener can’t help but enjoy.”Thick as Thieves” is Kicked in the Head’s sophomore release and is deserving of being heard. It’s the kind of breezily instantly enjoyable album that will bring them attention. I’m not good at predicting these kind of things, but along with the likes of Dropkick Murphys, Kicked in the Head could popularize the sing along, anthemic chanting that made early hardcore so much fun before it went downhill with a lot of skinhead macho man posturing. Kicked in the Head forego the machismo and replace it with enthusiasm, and an unbridled, uninhibited sense of fun whether playing their pogo all around like mad rhythms or slyly picking at arrangements and vocal melodies that give a nod to eighties glam. They’re unafraid.
