Tim Armstrong and Rob Aston formed the Transplants in December 1999, writing and recording tracks in Tim’s basement using Pro Tools and a load of guitars. Three years later, and with drums laid down in five hours by Blink 182‘s most talented member, Travis Barker, the band are ready to unleash their self-titled debut album on an unsuspecting public. Believe me when I say this is the most original record you will hear this year.
Now it is true that the transplants are a side project band, however their style gives them an identity all of their own. It will come as a pleasant surprise to the listener to see the range of musical styles the band employ and play around with. The Transplants are unquestionably a punk band, but they manage to incorporate hardcore, hip-hop and dance hall beats, together with rap vocals, into their very original sound. There are people out there who will be appalled at the idea of this musical amalgamation, but those who come with an open mind will find a record to treasure.
The album starts out with ‘Romper Stomper’ a track that begins with an infectious beat and then sees Rob Aston screaming his lungs off. This is an angry man, and this is a fact you are instantly aware of. ‘Tall Cans in the Air’ is a more musically upbeat song, that features a good use of hip-hop beats and a rousing chorus. It also marks Tim’s first vocal contribution to the album. ‘Transplants are fearless and most original’ he sings in his trademark way, and this perfectly sums up the feel of the album. ‘D.J.D.J.’ is one of the best songs on the album. It is incredibly infectious and has a cool, chilled out feel to it.
It is worth commenting on the drumming of Travis at this point. It is a testament to his talent that he was able to complete the drum parts in five hours, and he does the job he was intended to do. However, the only real criticism of this is that the drumbeats still sound a lot like loops and samples, as they originally were. Anyway, enough of the negative, other than a couple of weak tracks the rest of the album continues to astound with its originality. ‘Quick Death’ sees a screaming duet between Aston and AFI’s Davey Havok, a combination that works very well. ‘Sad But True’, by comparison, is a passionate and moving track about the death of a loved one. One of the most musically complete songs is ‘California Babylon’, another chilled out track, that sees Tim taking the vocal, and features fine guitar and drum work. The album is rounded off in fine fashion with ‘Down In Oakland’ a song that sounds very dark, due to the nature of the beats and the guitars.
The Transplants have, without a doubt, produced the most original punk album of this year. They have been brave enough to utilize a number of styles and have been rewarded with an album that puts most bands efforts to shame. The diversity on show here is what makes this release sound so fresh. Some punk fans will slate this for being radically different but that is exactly why it encapsulates the spirit of punk rock so well. It shouldn’t matter that the band features Tim Armstrong from Rancid and Travis Barker from Blink, the Transplants deserve to be recognised as a great band in their own right.
Mark