Review: One-21

One-21
“Grenade”
(Facedown)

There’s a lot of old Gilman Street influences here, as rock riffs abound in the background noise, and gang vocals make an appearance on pretty much every track.  This is the type of simple, straightforward punk that isn’t being played much anymore, and that’s a real tragedy.  One-21’s lyrics are easy to follow and surprisingly positive without ever being abrasive or preachy.

Cuts like “Bozman” and “Struck Down”, with it’s incessant chant of “Struck down but not destroyed” show what can happen in punk when questions are asked and answers given.  So often punkers can content to just pose the question without offering solutions of their own, which is really only half the battle, isn’t it?  Like I said, the music isn’t anything that will really blow you away, unless you wish Operation Ivy would re-form and ditch the ska.  Then you’ll really be stoked for sure.

One-21 do a great job of playing simple music well, allowing “Grenade” to be as understated as it is powerful.