Blackhawks Over Los Angeles,
Strung Out
Strung Out have seen some changes in the music industry during their 15 years as a band. From Nirvana through to Fall Out Boy, they've witnessed plenty of musical revolutions but, sadly, never been at the forefront of one. Which is really a shame as SO have been one of the most influential, and consistent, bands to come out of the mid 90s EpiFat skate punk scene. If it wasn't for the likes of Strung Out, I'd never have progressed musically - and I'm sure the same can be said of many of the older PT readers.
'Blackhawks...' is the band's 7th album and, so far, they've wracked up more than 500,000 album sales between them. The chances are this release will be as solid as all of those before them. It's perhaps a little slower than some of their previous work, while Jason Cruz's vocals sound a little more rounded and full than on previous efforts. Apart from that, the Strung Out formula is present and correct and, on tracks like 'Orchid', sounds absolutely huge. Single 'Calling' is strong, while even the slow burners, such as 'Dirty Little secret' showcase a band who can mature along with their sound, without losing the edge which made them great in the first place.
'Downtown' is another great track and while it's possibly not up to par with some of the band's classics from albums like 'An American Paradox' or 'Twisted By design', it's still better than a lot of band's output. 'Blackhawks...' isn't Strung Out's best album, but it's still very good and well worth a listen. The band have matured with age and while a fraction slower than they used to be, this is still a very solid release.
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