Born To LoseThis five piece, comprised of road junkies out of Austin, Texas is a hardworking band that tours as much as it drinks. They have been kicking up dust in and out of Texas since 2000, playing shows from to coast to coast, releasing two EP's (Here's To You, Our World) and a full length (Dreams Die Fast).
Although what they play sure isn't breaking any new ground, they make up for it with strong song writing and a tight delivery. They draw from all of the great street punk bands from the past and put just enough of their own twist to make it their own. It sure doesn't hurt when you have a vocalist who has a great voice for the genre. In street punk, the front man makes or breaks the group. As great as Avail is, they'd be a lot more average without Tim Barry, the same goes for Chris from Born To Lose. He adds such energy to the fast paced background and adds a certain charisma to the band that keeps your attention throughout the disc. I'm really liking the tons of gang vocals too. They are used heavily throughout the album, and in every song. So it's a good thing they have quality backing them, otherwise it could drive you insane, they're so frequent. They do a great job of complimenting the vocalist's voice and add a lot to the songs in the energy department. There are plenty of whooooa-ooh's and hey, hey's, which I'm sure would make for a great time live. Lyrically, this is a strong record. There are anthems about being down on luck and on the streets, living life on the road, problems with ex girlfriends with drug problems, being a dumb kid, etc. Very good stuff.
The production does a good job in utilizing the strengths of the band. The vocals get put way up in front, gang vocals included. The guitars have good crunch and tone to them, can't complain. The bass sounds good, a nice warm tone that doesn't have too much treble and helps round out the bands sound. The drumming is the lowest in the mix, but it actually works for this band. Overall, the production is solid, there are no glaring problems. The layout is alright, nothing that will catch your eye if it was on the rack though. The cover has a picture of a guy holding a gun on the bar with a flask and some stray bullets. Good choice of colors with the maroon red and gold yellow. The booklet is printed in black with white times new roman font with a nice trim around the edges, with a single drawing of a spades card with a skull with two knives. The back has all of the band members photos in a polaroid frame, I don't get who #6 in the band is though? Either way, this is a fun album to listen to with your buddies while drinking some beers or just by yourself chilling.
Rating: 3/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: Sweet Misey, Place and Time
Thesis: Good street punk from Texas with all the gang vocals you'll ever need.