Review: One Man Army

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One Man Army
“Rumors & Headlines”
(BYO Records)

It used to be whenever I had a little free time (which was pretty damn often) I’d go skating.  Now, I play golf.  Why?  I don’t know.  Golf is stupid and expensive and I usually want to kill myself after shooting thirty over par and losing twelve balls on the course.  Skating is free and better exercise and you can listen to One Man Army CDs on your Walkman while you weave in and out of traffic, ollieing up curbs and grinding on the little ledges by Albertson’s.  One Man Army is a great punk band whose music is quick enough to get the blood flowing to your legs when you’ve got to push uphill on Phelps Road but not so quick that you won’t be able to concentrate on your backside 5-0 one-eighty out on the ledge by the softball fields.  Weaving Bouncing Souls-esque backing vocals with strong, Youth Brigade influenced lyrics make “Rumors & Headlines” the perfect album for a sunny Sunday afternoon with you and your seven plies of maple sitting atop a couple of trucks and four polyurethane wheels.  Any album that can sandwich the raw anthem “Leave Me Alone” between the super-quick “It Doesn’t Matter” and the sing along choruses of “Casualty” deserves a listen.