Whippersnapper
“Appearances Wear Thin”
(Fueled By Ramen Records)
“Now prepare yourself to cross the threshold into a new world of sound.” So intones an anonymous old man on the first track of this album, before he is drowned out by the blistering surge of electric instruments. Is the old man right? Does “Appearances Wear Thin” really contain an auditory “new world” waiting to be delved into by inquiring ears? Well, not exactly- but then again, whoever said that that there’s nothing new under the sun was a pretty smart dude. Georgia-bred quintet Whippersnapper play it fast and play it loud, but what may get lost in the noise of their streamlined hard rock is that singer Andy Munn is something of a philosopher. Some of his observations hit closer to the mark than others, of course (compare “One Last Fight” with more pedestrian tracks like “Forever” or “Cold as Stone” and see what I mean), but it’s Munn’s pointed lyrics that keep this album’s assault on the ears from wearing thin too fast.
