Randy Thunderbird

Brimming with hearty hooks and a growling, suburban punk rock malaise, Kalamazoo, MI's Randy Thunderbird deliver a raucous first full-length that happily embraces their basement show party community while casting a critical eye on its trappings. With a fierce, scrappy pop punk sound that won't do anything to discourage Dillinger Four comparisons, Randy Thunderbird inject their energy into the Midwest, with a hint of New York-style toughness. Young, gruff vocals barely take the time to breathe, as they lead a hardcore-laced rip on its tough guy mentality on "Am I Punk Yet?" And while lyrical substance is obvious and plentiful, the relentless, frenetic pace is immediate and intoxicating, taking a few listens to pick out the subtler, thoughtful musical passages. It's endearing when bands are young and strike a balance between trying to prove themselves while being seemingly unaffected, as Randy Thunderbird do on "Rainbows and Unicorns." And as they grapple with a lifestyle, determining what's fleeting and real ("Cheap Shots"), it's clear that even the fun and games are never in vain.