Search - Rooftop Suicide Club :: Always Like This

A Fresh Perspective

Hyper Enough | Flint, Michigan | 10/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Always Like This is such an unlikely title for a record so rare and distinct from any trends or niches in indie rock these days. From their humble beginnings, RSC has pretty much maintained their own specific sound that is yet to give them the attention they truly deserve. Maybe it's their lack of touring, maybe it's just because people aren't ready for such a mature that can only come with experience.



Each time you listen to these songs you really feel the pain that went into them, and not in any cheesy way either. It's more in the delivery than the message. Haskell has such a powerful presence that you find yourself completely attached. Songs like More Like You and Too Old tell a vivid story of what it's like to feel left behind in life.



I hear different influences each time I listen, and my favorite song is constantly changing, a true sign of a great record. Sometimes I hear Built to Spill, sometimes Big Star, sometimes Hewdwig and the Angry Inch, or the Flaming Lips. The influences are impossible to pigeonhole, and they run the musical spectrum. Sometimes David Bowie, sometimes the Pixies, there is no simple way to describe this band. You might find hints of singer/songwriters like Neil Young or Jackson Browne, or glitter pop kings like Mathew Sweet, or maybe even Brian Wilson. There's even a Fountains of Wayne-esque tongue and cheek poke at scenesters if you're in need of a little saccharin. In any case, Always Like This is a record you'll find yourself humming along to for days after it leaves your iPod."