Redshift Shadowless Citizen

When I first popped this record in, I was immediately transported back to the counseling center of the middle school I attended. Not because Redshift sounds like a bunch of pre-adolescents who think they can rock out (though that would be entertaining), but because school counselors always pressure kids into taking Spanish. Personally, I hated all foreign languages with equal contempt, but I do wish now that I had some knowledge of elementary Espanol, as I can't figure out the words to the only song on the album that is in Spanish. It also happens to be the standout track as well, but that's what I get for not expanding my horizons. Hailing from Madrid, Spain, Redshift has released a number of albums over the years, and although I've never heard any of their older stuff, I'm assuming they've built quite a reputation on the other side of the Atlantic. The first track on "Shadowless Citizen" doesn't mess around, beginning with a thick bass riff, accompanied by solid 4/4 snare drumming, and the guitarist playing around with feedback as if he's just about to come in, but then pulls out. The musical assault then advances as everything kicks in. Right from the get-go, a tough-guy vibe is emitted from your speakers, and that sudden impulse to grab your old, dusty bandanna and flail your arms mindlessly doesn't help. The dual vocals are equally grating, leaving the listener wondering how often they come down with sore throats. "Shift" follows, and though it's chock-full of energy and fury, the most attractive aspect of this song is the chorus; I could've sworn Ian Mackaye was doing guest vocals on this one. Unfortunately, this was not the case, but the guitars do have that Fugazi/not-totally-distorted sound, albeit the rhythm is much faster. Track five, "Conflict," slows things down a bit, but the piercing, single-note verse and distorted, "radio" vocals during the chorus keep it engaging. "Lagrimas" is the Spanish ditty mentioned earlier, and will definitely leave you humming along to their catchy hooks all day long, even if you don't understand a word of it. We then move on to "Monologo", which would be bland in comparison to, say, "Maximus", the sole instrumental on the record, if it weren't for the female back-up vocals during the chorus, which again brings forth the bandannas, not to mention a barrage of sound. And "Railways," an erratic, almost frantic track, is comical in and of itself just because of the lyrical content. Talk about "math-core", this song is itself a math problem: "The mail wagon which weighs about 133 tons and reaches 190 km/h...". You get the picture. The last offering on the album is a rather mediocre Cure cover ("Fascination Street," in case you're wondering), and probably should've been left off the disk completely. So much for a great ending, I guess. Bottom Line: Shadowless Citizen is a decent record, which will most likely will draw comparisons to HHH and other thrash/Hispanic bands. I wasn't sorely disappointed when I was done with this, nor was I amazed. You might be compelled to check out some of their previous material after a few listens, but chances are you'll be content just letting the whole thing play while your concentrating on other things. It's great background music (if hardcore punk can even be such a thing) that occasionally ventures into the foreground for a quick sing-along, but then quickly recedes all the same.