Reviews

When listening to a rock band like Unwritten Law, one of the most important things for me personally to take note of is the drumming. Drummers are one of those musicians that stand in the back of a group photo and rarely speak in interviews, but have the most control over a band. For instance, in a symphony, the bass drum sets the tempo for the entire piece, and the percussion section, as a whole becomes the feet upon which the rest of the orchestra stands. And while someone like a flutist always has a partner to hide behind, a percussionist is a solo position; when you screw up, everyone notices. For me, the addition of Adrian Young (No Doubt) into the band for this album made it something to look forward to. Young has a world of experience; training and practice that make him a precious gem to have in any band. Not only that, but he’s always rocked women’s underwear like no man has ever done before. Not to mention, Tony Palermo, formerly of Pulley, has been added to the permanent lineup of UL. Palermo and Young both contribute an experienced style of drumming to this release.   “Here’s To The Mourning” is interesting in the sense that it incorporates so many different influences and styles that it’s almost difficult to decipher what sound the band is trying to go for. In songs like “Lost Control,” they’ve got a punk rock edge and the vocals are much harder, with a twinge of sheer rage, while in the radio song “Save Me,” it’s approaching pop-rock status, with a catchy chorus that makes for a perfect sing-along-song. I’m not sure that this was the best choice to be released as a single, because it’s really not one of the better tracks on the album. However, the more I listen to it, the more it grows on me. Okay, so maybe I’m indecisive about this song.  Anyway, “I Like The Way,” has a true rock n’ roll feel to it, and the lyrics have almost a blues tone to them in the beginning. The lyrics also compliment the originality of the song: “I’ve got a cocaine woman/and she’s cookin’ up a pound of pills/…I got a cyclone woman and she’s cookin’ up a pound of thrills.” Towards the end, this song starts to sound forced and lazy, and a little too drawn out.   My favorite song on this album is “Slow Dance,” which has an ironic title, as it really isn’t slow at all. It’s a fast paced rock tune with a dance-beat that could light up a room with its electricity. The only part I’m not fond of is the chorus, as it just doesn’t seem to flow with the rest of the song. That seems to be a re-occurring theme seen throughout the whole album. I can get past that because the rest of it is great. If anything, I would have issued that song as the single, it’s got almost the same edge and vibrancy as Jets’ “Are You Gonna Be My Girl.”   Unwritten Law is extremely successful, and yeah they’re on the radio and yeah, they’re on TV. But, who fucking cares? Seriously, this is a good album, it’s not spectacular, it doesn’t blow me away like the new Trail of Dead release, but it’s a huge step-up for them; an example of real laid back rock n’ roll. Most of all, it’s fun! I want to give it three and a half stars, because I really do like some of the songs a lot, just not all of them, but I suppose we'll just say three for the purpose of scoring.