Time Again
Darker Days
Hellcat
For their sophomore effort, Los Angeles’ Time Again arise out of Rancid’s shadow and establish themselves as more than just another band of imitators.
Darker Days, an album written almost entirely on the road and recorded in just six short days, is sure to be one of the best punk rock releases of 2008 and it’s only February. It’s got angst and energy that borders on total anarchy, with melodic choruses like the ones that made bands like Social Distortion and Bad Religion household names. Front man Daniel Dart is still borrowing heavily from Tim Armstrong in terms of his slight British accent and nasal delivery, but he’s reeled it in and wrapped his own voice around it.
Lyrically this band just begs to be sung along to, and when we’re talking about the genre of street punk that’s an indispensable quality. By the second listen I found myself spitting out full lines of songs. The ones that sneaked their way into my head the quickest: “Lookin’ Back,” “TV Static,” “Soon It Will Be,” and “Outcast.”
Getting past the fact that these guys are carbon copies of Rancid at their best is the hardest part, but everyone has their influences. Some try to disguise them, while others display them proudly. Time Again could have found a much worse band to pay tribute to.
It took me a couple of years, after not being entirely convinced by their 2005 debut The Stories Are True, but after digesting this album I’ve come to love them.
Time Again: http://www.timeagainband.com
