The Turbo A.C.โs
Radiation
Concrete Jungle Records
The Turbo A.C.โs kicked off the July 22 release of their newest album Radiation with a proclamation that โradiation will sweep the land, the kids will be infectedโ โ and honestly, the kids donโt stand a chance. To say this album is infectious is an understatement – its undercurrent of angry energy fuses with the euphoria of a punk rebellion against anything and everything to create something downright electric. Radiation is a blitzkrieg of heavy riffs, choked out vocals, and crashing drums – with short, catchy songs, compelling (albeit repetitive) lyrics, and a sexily dystopic album cover, it has all the elements of a revolution-sparking punk album. The Turbo A.C.sโ style is quintessential โ90s punk rock, and throughout their 23 years the bandโs musicality has remained fairly consistent โ why mess with a good thing? Radiation was conceived in the wake of massive upheaval, with lead singer Kevin Cole displaced from his New York City home, only to have his exodus followed by Hurricane Maria โ perfect creative conditions for a high-octane surf-punk record. Its high production value doesnโt undermine the albumโs raw grittiness, and the songs are both electrifying and honest: โthereโs something wrong with everything I see/but baby, thereโs nothing wrong with meโ, Cole shouts.
โNothing Wrong with Meโ is certainly one of the albumโs standouts, but Radiation is full of gems to rock out to. The cover of Lana Del Reyโs โHigh by the Beachโ is particularly memorable, with a kickass melody and scratchy, spat-out vocals. With bitter, mocking lyrics โ โyou could be a bad motherfucker but that donโt make you a manโ โ put to The Turbo A.C.sโ frenzied style, this song was made both for venting rage and escaping it. โGo Aheadโ is a buzzing riot song, the predictable-yet-pleasant chord progressions conjuring a The Ramones-meets-The Kinks style. โCanโt Get There from Hereโ waxes romantic on lack of motivation, lyrics such as โI was looking out the window for a job/but nobody gave me a callโ reminiscent of Green Dayโs โLongviewโ. โYou Will Loseโ is an ode to wildness and hedonism; sexy yet still fringed with a pervasive punk hostility, it demands the listener to โlose your mind and leave it all behindโ. โGet Upโ is a battle cry of a song, vibrating with ecstatic angry energy that makes it perfect for moshing. The album ends perfectly with a punk rock ballad of apathy: โlooks like I wasted all my time/no gas in my tank/I got a million good times in the bank/so glad I wasted all my timeโ. Piano trills trickle through the strumming, tranquil tune, creating a celebration of laziness evocative of The Offspringโs โLetโs Hear it for Rock Bottomโ or NOFXโs โThe Agony of Victoryโ. Overall, Radiation is steeped deeply in classic punk culture, and is definitely worth a listen โ or ten โ for anyone nostalgic for the โ90s punk scene.
Artistย Links
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE TURBO A.C.โS – RADIATION
Isabel Armiento