It’s only fitting that in my review of the Flobots new album Survival story, I pick a fight. My beef is with someone named Jason Lymangrover – whom I’ve never met. “Why?” you ask? I’m getting to it, alright? Chill out.
Flobots are probably best described as “[A] portrait of the new American insurgent.” Which is a direct quote…of them. They use a rap-rock sound and minimalistic string arrangements to cry “Fix the broken system!” from every bell-tower and amplifier. They pick apart anyone who violates human rights or sacrifices the good of the masses for personal gain. They declare that there is “a war going on for your mind” and “if you are thinking, you are winning.” These sound like people I’d march behind.
Their previous album and first major release, Fight with Tools, dropped at the end of the Bush administration and Flobots made their voices heard loud and clear. Their pent up aggression and feelings of betrayal came roaring out like a bile-laced tactical rant.
On Survival Story, their second full length release, the vitriol remains, but adjusts focus. They continue to examine the tasks at hand, but more importantly they look to the future and propose (in their hyper-articulate, unabashedly aggressive manner) that we never lose sight of tomorrow.
Overall, Survival Story may not be as revolutionary as Fight with Tools, but the political climate has adjusted and thusly so did Flobots. The opening track ‘Cracks in the Surface’ sets the tone and reminds us that we’re about to hop in the Flobots’ mob and get some policies changed. ‘Cracks’ also has one of my favorite lyrics on the whole album, “One becomes two, becomes three, becomes four/Our sound wave runs your city like parkour.” Any song with a parkour reference gets my vote.
Three tracks in, we come across ‘Defend Atlantis’ which is an epic, pseudo-apocalyptic cautionary tale with the bands only female member, Mackenzie Roberts singing the chorus. ‘White Flag Warrior’ is the most traditional rap-rock track on the album. It features Tim McIlrath of Rise Against; but his presence is used much like a sample; his vocals provide support to the chorus and lend a powerful raw element to an already solid track that features lyrics like “They say war is necessary, we say war is child abuse.” The late disc show-stopper is ‘Superhero,’ a song you think is going to be about self-empowerment, but ends up covering domestic partnerships, gay marriage and the feeling of helplessness experienced by citizens without equal rights, “If I was a Superhero, I would break free/And I wouldn’t be in prison, wherever they take me/I would change everyone that’s trying to change me.”
Ok. Now back to my beef with Jason Lymangrover.
We’re stepping into the ring.
We’re approaching our opponent.
We nod to the ref.
We’re taking off our gloves.
“Who is Jason Lymangrover?” you ask. Jason is a reviewer for AllMusic.com, a website that has been my homepage for years. It’s a very reputable and often insightful website, offering album reviews, release info and artist features. I am rarely completely at odds with their reviews…until now. (Cue horror movie music.)
Jason Lymangrover provided us with the following insights about Survival Story:
“For their sophomore album, Survival Story, Flobots turned up their amps to show off their range and their Rage Against the Machine and Tool influences…”
They did? I’m not sure how he knew that was Flobots intention. Especially since their sound differs so vastly from RATM and Tool. Yes, RATM was hyper-political like Flobots, but the signature RATM sound was that Tom Morello virtuosity. Flobots have dueling MCs and a female cellist who sings. Tool? Tool is one of the greatest alt-rock groups of all time. Maynard’s iconic voice, their heavy focus on instrumentation and their dark, often disturbing lyrics are characteristics that have few, if any parallels to Flobots, Survival Story.
‘…which, disappointingly, made them sound more like Linkin Park or P.O.D.’
Ok…now I’m confused. Linkin Park is a diamond selling (that’s more than multi-platinum), Grammy winning rap-rock group that has fewer than five straight rap tracks in their entire canon. Their lead singer, Chester Bennington is unquestionably the face of their franchise and their music is geared for direct radio release. Again…Flobots have dueling MCs and a female cellist…who sings…sometimes. P.O.D. is a Christian rap-core band that thrives off of power chords and has lyrics like “I, feel so alive/For the very first time/And I think I can fly.” Survival Story has just two songs hosting male rock singers in limited roles; it features an electric guitar but by no means uses it as the basis for its sound, and is home to Flobots trademark, turbo-literate, highly intellectual verbiage.
“Overblown production hurts the cause, with Beastie Boys producer Mario Caldato forgoing the home-grown sound of Check Your Head for big arena bluster.”
Linkin Park’s last album: Produced by Rick Rubin. Flobots’ last album: Produced by Mario Caldato. Overblown production in hip-hop is T-Pain, or Hollywood Undead, or Kanye’s 808s & Heartbreak. Most tracks on Survival Story consist of…the Flobots; i.e. no synths, no overly layered instrumentation, no chorus effects, no vocorders or auto-tuning. No frills. No Eminem-esque sound effects of gun shots or people screaming. It’s just them, recorded well, in a contemporary studio.
Jason’s review seems so misguided that it makes me question if he:
A.) Doesn’t know RATM, Tool, Linkin Park or P.O.D. that well.
B.) Didn’t listen to Survival Story all the way through.
C.) Both A and B.
Before I put my gloves back on, Jason says:
“As is often the case, rap and rock are at constant odds here.”
Not in this case Jason. Sorry. We disagree. As Flobots would say: “[We] haven’t abandoned, hope that the pen strokes stronger than the cannon…We rise together! We rise together! We rise together! We rise!”
While I may not be very well versed on Flobots, or their music, I can definitely see the similarities in style, and rhythm in their song “No Handlebars” that would cause much confusion. I too find that this song causes me to reminisce in the days of P.O.D. I don’t see any connection to Linkin Park, but I see an influence from pod. In fact, for a very long time, I thought that pod had simply changed names, and content. Maybe they had gotten tired of the Bush regime, and was adjusting their music to reflect that.