Worn In Red

Worn In Red

Banshees

No Idea

***There’s a certain point in your 20s where you either give in and start working for that American dream of suburban retirement, or you double down on your own path and figure out what drives you. The four members of WORN IN RED all hit that crossroads awhile ago, and clearly decided to work toward their own definitions of happiness. For them, writing interesting, evocative songs—and lighting a room on fire when those songs are played—is a crucial part of feeling alive. It makes the frustrations of this world more bearable. And when you do it with some of your best friends, it can be more fun than anything you ever imagined. Worn In Red have addressed these themes in their music over the years. The pummeling catharsis of 2009’s In The Offing (No Idea) reflected the fading hope that punk rock might still have a role to play in the brighter tomorrows being promised at the time. But with Banshees, Worn In Red eschew reliance on such grand abstract notions, and instead celebrate reliance on each other. Banshees extolls the people in our lives who help us remain true to our own paths no matter how difficult it gets. It also excoriates the institutions that make this quest for authenticity so difficult in the first place. The sound of Banshees mirrors this mix of optimism and struggle, with potent melodies that are both unconventionally memorable and gloriously frenetic. Combined with a locked-on rhythm section and vocals that could inspire...

Worn In Red

In The Offing

No Idea

***WORN IN RED hail from the long-standing promised land of thick, blistering hardcore; Virginia. They share hometowns in both Richmond and Charlottesville, drinking deep from a rich history of since-fallen bands like Sleepytime Trio, Hoover, Four Hundred Years, Maximillian Colby, Action Patrol, and Frodus, while also paying tribute to contemporary titans Planes Mistaken For Stars, Glass and Ashes, and Hot Water Music. "Considering how nice these guys are, they sure do yell a lot. They feel like family. Their songs gnawed their way into my brain over the last year, and being involved in this record was not an option: it became an imperative. Heavy and pummeling locks in with a melodic, open groove. Duality in tandem. Good hair too."—Var / No Idea.