True talent doesn’t just lie beneath a hit song, ground breaking record sales or a successful World tour, true talent shines brightest in the words we speak and the actions we take. When the subject is successful New Zealand trio, The Rabble you can rest assured that the talent will be on full display and the music will always be heard loud & clear.
Scratching off the punk rock layers prominently found in their previous albums (along with an EP and European exclusive greatest hits) Life’s A Journey takes the listener directly down the road less taken. From the historic intro highlighting some of the band’s most well known songs to the roots radical reggae of tracks such as Mind Ghetto and Wrong Side of the Tracks all the way to the break-neck street punk of Gunnin for the NRA and Reflection (the latter featuring street punk veteran, Mark Unseen of Boston’s The Unseen from a 2008 NZ based collaboration). Life’s A Journey is definitely The Rabble at their finest.
Reminiscent of such notable albums as The Clash’s, London Calling and Green Day’s, American Idiot it’s the message conveyed on this album that really breaks it apart from a music industry saturated with Youtube sensations and auto-tune aficionados. The lyrics are well versed and backed by the heart with songs about love, lower class struggles and standing up for what you believe in.
As the music progresses you are witness to three talented musicians proudly displaying their best work to date. Some examples include the punk rock anthem found in the first single, The Journey down to the melodic love song, With A Rose in My Hand featuring Al Barr (of Dropkick Murphys fame) through memorable punk flavored tracks such as, Blood, Sweat & Tears and Dead Anthem. Life’s A Journey is the perfect musical representation of a life well documented.
I think it’s safe to say that there are two types of people in this World, those who like The Rabble and those who will. Welcome to your new favorite album…enjoy the ride!