One 21

Customer Reviews

• Not as good as Grenade  Nov 4, 2003 (1 of 1 found this helpful)

  But great nontheless. Good old fashion street punk. Great stuff. Loved it.
  1. Runaway 5/5
  2. Nothing to Lose 5/5
  3. Pacified 5/5
  4. Smells Like Death 5/5
  5. Looking Out for Me 5/5
  6. Good Guys Wear Whte Hats and So Do Bad Guys 5/5
  7. Building Better Bombs 5/5
  8. We'll Meet Again 5/5
  9. Have We Eyes to See 5/5
  10. Peculiar Nation 5/5
  11. Shelter 5/5
  12. Made in America 5/5
  13. R.I.P. Basement Records 5/5

  Facedown had scored again with an amazing band. These guys are going places. Buy this and their newest and best CD Grenade!

• Exceptional Christian punk  Apr 10, 2007 

  One-21, a five-piece punk band signed to Facedown Records, has put together an album that, despite staying with a recognizable punk sound, has enough unique twists to keep it memorable to all listeners. The album opens with "Runaway", a catchy song that is as diverse as it is memorable, with a mellow but upbeat chorus that contrasts with the full-speed-ahead gusto of the verses. The album goes from fast to slow and back again through the whole album, such as when the mellow acoustic track "Building Better Bombs" gives way to the much faster "We'll Meet Again". With such a diverse tone, the sheer `wholeness' of the album is remarkable--not a single song seems out of place.
  
  This is an album that, though clearly punk, doesn't sound quite like any other album in the genre--and depending on how you look at it, that's either its best trait or its worst. The vocals are a good example of this. The creative use of vocals, ranging from all the band singing in chorus to individual singers alternating lines, grabbed my attention, but will most listeners find it interesting enough to overcome the below-average voices of the vocalists?
  
  Likewise, the abrupt changes in the `feel' of songs, as in the jump between the chorus and verses of "Smells Like Death", are a great way that the band spices up its style--but I doubt all listeners will feel the same, instead seeing the lack of unity of tone as noisy or boring. This is an album that you can't appreciate unless you accept it on its own terms.
  
  That said, the album will definitely satisfy someone looking for something new. Highlights like "Pacified" and "Shelter", with memorable riffs and lyrics that are serious without taking themselves too seriously, should win over many listeners. Overall, this is a CD that will earn more than its share of spins in my stereo.