HOMESAFE—ONE

United Nations, Boxcar Racer, Blaqk Audio, and Homesafe all have one thing in common. Can you tell me what that is? I’ll wait………. ok, I’ll tell you if you don’t know. They all are side projects. Homesafe is the side project of Ryan Rumchaks, bassist from pop-punk powerhouse Knuckle Puck. A fact I didn’t know when I first listened to Homesafe a few years back. And I’ll be the first to tell you that Homesafe stands on their own. This is what a side project should be. If you are expecting Knuckle Puck 2.0, then you should move along. Now that we got the Knuckle Puck items out of the way, we can talk about this album.

After 3 stellar EPs, Homesafe finally gave us a full-length and, let me tell you, it was well worth the wait. As I mentioned above this is a band that can and does stand on their own feet. Since their inception, they have toured relentlessly. They have built a loyal fan base over the past 3 years. So, I know I was not the only one excited for this release.

One starts off with the banger, “Point Blank.” One thing you should know is this is not a pop-punk band, this is a rock band. And “Point Blank” is the perfect track to begin this album. The guitars remind me of something you would hear from Foo Fighters. around the 2:10 mark it gets a little softer and slower, and it builds up to an explosion. Again, this is a great track to kick off this album. The next track, “Run,” is one of my favorites, as it is about overcoming those obstacles in life when sometimes we just want to run. I can’t count the number of times I’ve wanted to do that. It starts off, “Am I standing in my own way? It’s my own advice I should take. Every day’s the same damn thing. I can’t ignore these thoughts, not today.” I imagine that is something we all feel at times. Another standout track is “Vanilla-Scented Laser Beams.” This one will appeal to those Knuckle Puck fans. It’s very upbeat and fun sounding. And the chorus has a touch of those aggressive pop-punk vocals.  “Sideways Sleeper” is another favorite. The chill, laid-back chill track nonetheless makes you think about life. It’s the perfect track for a Sunday afternoon to help clear your head about things, especially relationships. The album closes with the  instrumental track, “fin”

Overall, this is a solid release. It will appeal to old fans, and it’s a good introduction for newer fans. I like that it’s not too overbearing. It’s like a smooth car ride, flowing from one song to the next. I can see this album showing up on year-end lists come December. Yeah, it’s that good.

Check out these related articles:

The Dandy Warhols – Rockmaker

The Dandy Warhols – Rockmaker

It's always an adventure when you dive into a band for the first time that you've been peripherally aware of for years but have never given a fair...

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *