Customer Reviews

Free In The Streets

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dance enthusiasts A.R.E. Weapons resurface after disappearing from brief underground stardom in the early `00s with Free in the Streets, a collection of danceable tunes that walk a fine line between being fun, and being annoying. While Free in the Streets will make you want to shake your bon-bon (see: cheesy, yet irresistible synth riff in "Weakest Ones"), the band seems more concerned with creating layered electro-rock songs that are friendlier to head banging than to doing the Macarena. Free in the Streets is a silly endeavor (lines like "middle finger high in the middle of the night" dominate the disc), but it's also a pretty fun album, and those who like a little rock when getting their groove on should give this band a listen.

-Matt St. John
Synthesis.net

...but not nearly as fun as their debut... lots of slower songs, real drums, etc. same trashy vocal delivery. sadly their guitarist died of a heroin overdose earlier this year, but i hope they tour. i think a.r.e. weapons have tons of potential, and i think they get unfairly pegged as a "style over substance" band, cuz they're oh-so-fashionable (and paul sevigny-brother of chloe-is an unofficial member) but they actually sound great. definitely heavily influenced by suicide, and i think they are much better than many indie bands that get way more recognition, and have more true punk grit in their pinkies than all of green day combined. i would actually give this album a 3.5 star rating, but 4 is close enough.

After one or two listens, I almost sold the first ARE Weapons cd back to my local record store. I didn't expect an entire album full of abrasive keyboard and playstation-style beats. Yet I couldn't bring myself to get rid of that sloppy trainwreck of an album. Why? Because it's fun. These guys put the F U back in fun on that album.

So now they're back with a vengence, and real drums. It's rocking my face. Ouch! If you like your rock neat and tidy, just don't buy this cd. It's macho, yet danceable. Like Lemmy singing for Depeche Mode at a secret party.

Bottom Line: If they ever make a movie based on the old arcade game Bad Dudes!, this would be the soundtrack. So if you catch my drift, if you know what I'm sayin', buy this album. Bad Dudes!