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The Rice Thresher
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lars frederiksen and the bastards Lars Frederiksen, guitarist and vocalist for top-notch punk group Rancid, had a tough childhood growing up in Campbell, Calif. I know this because he's frequently mentioned his personal history on Rancid's Web site, in a handful of Rancid songs and now on the new self-titled debut album from his side project Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards. While it's clear that Frederiksen poured a lot of himself into making these personal songs, musically the album comes up short despite his hard work. Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards contains punk songs of every variety, unlike Rancid's strictly hardcore last album. "Dead American," the album's opener, is a fast song with lots of screaming, as are "Antisocial" and "Vietnam." Despite Lars' fury, these songs fail to really grab me, probably because they're carried entirely by his guitar, neglecting the bass part. A few of the songs have a distinct '50s-rock feel to them. "6 Foot 5" could almost be called punkabilly, and Frederiksen pumps out wicked solos on a distorted guitar that sounds like a buzz saw being tortured. "Subterranean" uses this same guitar sound over a catchy bass line as Frederiksen describes his childhood. These songs have loads more personality (and good old-fashioned grooviness) than the harder, run-of-the-mill punk tracks. "To Have and Have Not" and "Wine and Roses" are mid-tempo punk songs that lose their effectiveness by being too heavy-handed. The lyrics work, but the music is nothing special. It's not the in-your-face downtrodden punk ethos on this album that bugs me; it's the fact that the album isn't especially fun musically. It lacks the energy that you'd expect from a Rancid album - maybe it's due to the sound mix, or maybe it's the feeling that Frederiksen was much more into the lyrics than the music. Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards is much better than the average punk product nowadays, but it's disappointing compared to Frederiksen's work with Rancid. Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards open for punk bands the Dropkick Murphys and the Swingin' Utters Thursday night at Fitzgerald's (2706 White Oak). Tickets are $14. For more info, call (713) 862-3838. - Robert Reichle
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