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"Year of the Crow"
by State Radio
Label: Nettwerk
Release Date: November 6, 2007
Check out other tracks calling for change of the status quo with Webjockey Flur's Rifflist, "Protest Songs"
From chaos comes an occasional order. With reggae-indie rockers State Radio's latest album "Year of the Crow", this activist band is more determined than ever to find solutions to the growing list of global crises. Instead of being overwhelmed by the challenge, State Radio has risen to the occasion.
If we can learn anything from simply glancing at the lyrics, it's that answers lie in our inquisitions. Question everything. Luckily, State Radio is able to zoom this same microscope at themselves and their own sound, creating a sophomore album that stands up against its heralded predecessor.
Standing out as most unique among the album are "The Story of Benjamin Darling, pt 1" and "CIA." For a single, "Wicker Park" is a smart pick, and brings the energy of the band to the forefront. For those only familiar with vocalist Chad Stokes from his work with the ultra college rock Dispatch, the shift in attitude and delivery will blow your mind. The catchiness of "Wicker Park," however, belies Stoke's ability to pin down a solid pop-hook.
Usually the message fits the medium with the tracks; the reggae influence on 50% of the album feels authentic, in the vein of such fist-raisers like the Clash or Marley. The opener "Guantanamo" borrows more from the screaming fits of Zack de la Rocha. It's a ballsy choice for an intro, one sure to jar fans of State Radio's debut album, "Us Against the Crown," into debate over its merit. No matter, however, State Radio isn't the sort of band to shy away from healthy discourse.
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