Description
Very few bands can get away with inserting a ‘!’ into their name but Philadelphia punk rock outfit Cranked Up! sure do thanks to the driving varied and always energetic approach qualifying their Blackout Records debut 2005’s This Is a Weapon. A relatively new project for veterans of several separate Philly punk rock concerns and therefore freer to break out of most strict self-imposed boundaries Cranked Up! dabble liberally in their influences quoting the Pistols’ ‘New York’ (‘You Are the Fool’) here pure American hardcore (‘Swindled’) and second-generation U.K. punk rockers like the Exploited (‘It’s Not Right ‘ ‘On the Attack’) there and even Swedish metallic pop-punkers the Backyard Babies on ‘Deal With It.’ Damning political and social commentary does break up the good-natured fun on occasion (see ‘Another Vietnam ‘ ‘Exploitation ‘ and the sensible critique of blind patriotism ‘Make Me Sick’) but not enough to wreck the album’s overall upbeat vibe — helped along by power pop sensibilities that are guaranteed to carve silly grins and inspire happy head-bopping out of pogo-inducing efforts like ‘You Are the Fool ‘ ‘Change in You ‘ and ‘New Regime.’ The final balance: by punk rock’s nihilistic and apocalyptic standards this is an overwhelmingly positive record and makes for a righteous half hour of straightforward noncommittal pure punk entertainment fit for old-timers and young saplings alike. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia
