It takes a unique band to be of the mental disposition that, as much as they might like it, they can't help but believe that slogan they see on T-shirts, “Punk is dead.” It doesn't happen to every group of course, and even those that do reach that bitter conclusion do so after years of hard work. Social Code are over-achievers in that regard; it only took them three albums to hit that point like a brick wall.
So what does a band do when they decide that all the good ideas have been thought up and all the good albums have already been released? In Social Code's case, they elect to do it all over again.
Not that the music on Rock 'N' Roll sounds trite, but there just isn't a single microtone on it that leaves listeners with the impression that it took any thought at all to make. After the morbid appreciation of the title track that opens the record, Social Code launches into a series of their own interpretations of classic songs from the rock songbook that are just different enough to skirt plagiarism suits, but not different enough to not be noticeable. Among the more obvious lifts, Social Code flexes its meager muscles with a Ted Nugent (by way of Appetite For Destruction-era GNR) cock rock workout in “Nothing Left To Lose,” some nearly-Danzig-ish, moribund trudging and stomping (“Satisfied”), some of that glorious DLR-era Van Halen throwaway greatness (“Buy Buy Baby”) and even a Mr. Big-esque power ballad simperer in the form of “Real Girl” that all slip and slide easily by with no wicked aftertaste and no significant impression left outside of some listeners left wondering, “Whoa, what happened there?” That's just how easy it flies and, after a second or two into “Fight For Love,” you realize half of the album has lapsed.
The second side breezes along about as easily too as the band tries valiantly to find something – anything – to cling to that might catch an edge. “You Never Know What You Got Until It's Gone” lists off the days of the week just like Stone Temple Pilots and The Cure did but with none of the hooks that either had locked in, “Stay” plays the power ballad card but gets trumped, “I'm Not Okay” lifts everything from title to theme from My Chemical Romance but gets cheesed when Social Code tries to cross the town line into Dawson's Creek (if you listen to the song, that'll make more sense) and, while the record closes on a decent note with the playful aggro-pop-punk of “Too Late For Tomorrow,” by then the damage has been done and it's far too late to try and mend fences – the album's just done in more ways than one.
But is there hope for Social Code? There's always hope, all that really needs to happen is the band needs to pick itself up and kick itself out of this funk it has fallen into. As Rock 'N' Roll proves, no one in the band has lost a step instrumentally (it's the songwriting that leaves a lot to be desired) so they're up to it, all the band has to do is declare a 'do-over' and forget Rock 'N' Roll ever happened.
Artist:
socialcodemusic.com/
www.myspace.com/socialcode
Album:
Rock 'N' Roll is out now and available as a Canadian import here on Amazon .
