Album Review: The Interrupters – Say it Out Loud (Hellcat Records)

Say it Out Loud is the second album from punk-rockers, The Interrupters & may be the most upbeat, fun sounding record of 2016. Released in June, it is the perfect soundtrack to the warmer months thanks to its bouncy, feel-good sound.

Not to say it isn’t as infectious in the Winter, it just conjures up beaches & beer in the sun.

So let’s get this out of the way, singer Aimee Allen has an scarily similar voice to Brody Dalle of The Distillers. If you weren’t a big Distillers fan you could easily mistake the two. Even musically there are plenty of similarities but with one big difference…The Interrupters are here, The Distillers aren’t.

The first half of this 14 track album will tell you all you need to know about The Interrupters. By My Side, She Got Arrested, Babylon, On a Turntable, The Prosecutor, Control & Phantom City are all insanely catchy & fun. It’s got so much musical merit with its mix of punk-rock & ska beats. The choruses are so easy to sing along too & the lyrics are smart (the power of music), in particular On a Turntable which is the first song on the album that is out & out punk-rock. It’s easily one of the best songs on the album.

It’s exciting to hear Tim Armstrong sing on Phantom City as Tim Timebomb. He has one of the most recognisable voices in punk & can light up any track.

The second half of the album is where things don’t quite hit as well. At 14 tracks it’s far too long & it all begins to blend into one another by the latter half of the album. Media Sensation, You’re Gonna Find a Way Out (also the most ska song on the album) lack the same impact. The beats all begin to sound too similar & even her voice begins to lose its vigour.

Thankfully the gang-vocal intro & chorus (as well as the excellent lyrics) of Divide Us ensures it’s not a completely forgettable half.

As was said earlier the album goes on too long. Two songs too long, the punky pace of Good Things should have been the end point as even its lyrics seem to signify that it’s over.

“I’ve been to hell today, I’ve hit rock bottom. Something’s gotta change”

Unfortunately the album does continue with the extremely forgettable Jenny Drinks & the disappointing Loyal. The latter is a bit of a call to arms but it lacks an interesting beat or any memorable vocal line.

It’s a disappointing end to an album that is more killer then filler. So many huge sounding, sing-along songs led by a vocalist that just smashes it. A few similar sounding songs causes the latter parts of the album to not stand out as much as the first but there are still great songs amongst the blander sounding moments.

The Interrupters are worth keeping an eye on, this is a band that has a very bright future.

Overall Track Listing:

1. By My Side
2. She Got Arrested
3. Babylon
4. On a Turntable
5. The Prosecutor
6. Control
7. Phantom City (feat. Tim Timebomb)
8. Media Sensation
9. You’re Gonna Find a Way Out
10. Divide Us
11. The Valley
12. Good Things
13. Jenny Drinks
14. Loyal