Don't You Fake It - Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (The) (CD)

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and their debut Don't You Fake It have quietly assailed me from "New Music" and "Find Them First" displays, near a mix of artists I'm enjoying and artists I'm loathing. So it was with some hesitance that I grabbed the album after hearing and moderately enjoying its lead single "Face Down." Ultimately, the results could not have been more mixed, with a paint-by-numbers pop-punk/screamo CD that's surprisingly tolerable, if nothing exceptional.

It shouldn't take more than one track for any listener to embrace or discard this CD -- the opener "In Fate's Hands" has bits of "emo"-esque melodic punk, raucous screaming in the choruses, and a little "hey! hey!" chant interlude for a bridge. And that's pretty much the story here -- an assemblage of pre-packaged sounds -- but the track is surprisingly adequate despite its predictable pieces.

The album's opening segment is pretty much on course from there -- "Waiting" has more of the shout-along backing vocals, with screaming touches to notch up the intensity at a few key spots, not to mention some sharp instrumental licks that sound more metal-derived than punk. And lead single "Face Down" overcomes its own trite anti-wife beating lyrics (really, is anyone pro-wife beating?) to come together as a decent little track, holding a good sense of drama and dynamics throughout.

Unfortunately, the album has both specific and general weaknesses throughout. All but one track clocks in between two and a half and three and a half minutes, so don't expect anything in the way of challenging songwriting here. And when the tracks run in the vein of unremarkable pop-punk like "False Pretense" or "Damn Regret," or worse yet, the dull piano balladry of "Cat and Mouse," this album can be more of an eye-rolling experience than a tolerably predictable one.

Fortunately, more typical tracks like "Misery Loves Its Company" and "Atrophy" have a bit more variety, or at least err toward energetic sections when originality runs a bit short. And "Justify," buried near the album's closing, features good, gradual buildup and unexpectedly heavy, screamed breakdowns leading into the choruses. There's no jaw-droppingly good segment here, but there's plenty of repeat-listenable material.

If the review hasn't made this clear, there's a real mixed bag to be found on this disc. The band certainly doesn't offer anything exceptionally new or challenging, but they do throw a few curveballs with their limited repertoire of tricks. If you think screamo is the resurrection of rock, this CD is certainly a worthy addition to your collection. And even if you take a more tempered view of things, if you've ever enjoyed The Used, Story of the Year or their ilk, this CD should offer you enough enjoyable moments to merit a discounted pickup at some point -- just don't rush for it.



The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Discography

Don't You Fake It (2006)