ALBUM REVIEW: Bandaid Brigade: 'I'm Separate'

Bandaid Brigade the musical project of Zach Quinn (PEARS), Brian Wahlstrom (Scorpios, Gods of Mount Olympus) and friends Paul Rucker (Armchair Martian, Street Dogs, Drag The River) and Chris Fogal (The Gamits) will release their debut album 'I'm Separate' on January 21, 2020. Inspired by bands such as Genesis, Bandaid Brigade brings a refreshingly lighter tone of punk rock throughout the album that’s worth a listen.

I’d call the sound Bandaid Brigade delivers on this album as punk hair metal, with a unique blend of emotional lyrics crossed with powerful solos and heavy drums. This sound is fittingly best seen in the first track “Everything”, and is frequently revisited in tracks such as “Attila”. Whilst this sound starts off unique and refreshing, and is definitely played well, I find the optimism it projects can lead to a few tracks feeling very similar. However, the songs that buck this trend are some of my favourites on the album. For example, “Travel Light” has a funky backing that slaps hard, and the cover of “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” has a powerfully morose atmosphere that serves almost as a palate cleanser towards the end of the album.