So I’ve been championing this band for some number of years now. I suppose since they released Cheap Fame (a.k.a album 2) back in early 2018 via Rad Girlfriend Records and Plasterer Records here in the UK. Since that point in time, they’ve been fairly relentless in terms of output and productivity releasing 4 LPs, 2 compilation LPs and a whole raft of 7in records in the intermittent period. Room for One More is their 6th LP. Probably the only other band that springs to mind without putting in any actual effort that puts in the hard yards to this extent is Fucked Up. It’s quite the monumental effort to maintain and even continually improve standards over such a body of work, which The Raging Nathans have definitely managed to do up to this point.
Does Room For One More hold up to the high standards they’ve set? That’s what we are here to find out…
The video for lead track, The Grudge has been widely circulated online as what amounts to an initial single for the album. Admittedly, although I could tell off the bat that the level of musicianship had gone up, it didn’t strike me with the immediacy I’d come to expect over the years; I could tell it was good, but I just didn’t initially “get it”. However, once I’d heard it a few times, it did get stuck in my head. For me, it was a grower rather than a shower… But when it hits you. Damn.
The issue of immediacy, as demonstrated above, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I initially felt a similar way about Looking Out For Me and Misery & Co. (the 2nd and 3rd tracks respectively). Realistically, on repeated listens, it became clear that there had been something of a serious step change in terms of what the band were capable of. Think for instance of the path of transition of Propagandhi for example, who moved from snotty skate punk to some kind of technical crossover / thrashy hardcore band with elements of prog in there.
I mean, that’s not what The Raging Nathans have done exactly, but we’ve seen a move from (to use a blanket term that isn’t all that accurate in describing something) from a Look Out! style trad pop punk outfit to adding in more smart 90s Fat Wreck style skate punk elements, to what I’m seeing emerge here. I’m put in mind of the clever dynamics that Bad Religion used to be capable of (but they just don’t pull it off to the same standard anymore). It’s hard to explain, but this progression isn’t to the detriment of anything they’ve done before; it’s just different. I just had the weird moment where I was like “Oh! I get it now!”.
By the time we are moving into the middle half of the album, I’m feeling like things are not only bedding in, but blending towards an amped up vision of what they’d been doing on previous releases. Considering that with each release they’ve tweaked their way of doing things in one way or another, I don’t really know why I’m at all surprised. Particularly as that’s one of the key things I love about The Raging Nathans: they keep their shit interesting, but it’s comfortably and distinctively them. Fourth song Out of Control is where I feel like the album really finds it’s footing, and that RKL style bass fill really excites me. If you are anything like me (then god help you), this is when your ears properly prick up, and you really settle into the record.
Back to Yesterday has this whole thing going on that really reminds me of Hang by Lagwagon (a.k.a the comeback album of the century, and controversially their career best, IMHO). This feeling continues into the second cut from the album that they’ve shared thus far, Nick at Nite. Powering on into If I Want You To Hate Me and Threats and Promises, I’m getting this entire Pulley type dynamic (considering here 1990s classics like Esteem Driven Engine and @#!*) oddly coupled with some mad Circle Takes the Square style backing vocals at the back half of the song which are absolutely savage.
Closing out the last third of the album we have Oh, The Places You’ll Gloat which dials up the speed and aggression, before we hit Learning the Hard Way which kinda reads like a Ben Weasel song, squatting with intent somewhere between Screeching Weasel and The Riverdales with bitter intent. Coupled with finale Edited for Time and Content, which I feel vibes heavily on Lance Hahn’s work with Cringer and J Church. These final two tracks are probably my top cuts on the album, if you had to ask me to choose.
If you already like The Raging Nathans then you’ll love Room for One More. If you’ve not heard them before, go check out the back catalogue, or this one is as good a jumping on point as any of them; they’re all great. I’d like to take the opportunity to thank Josh Goldman (The Raging Nathans, The Dopamines, Rad Girlfriend Records and more) for reaching out to me to share the album early – much appreciated.
Tony of Nurgle rating: 9.5/10
You can pre-order the LP from Brassneck Records in the UK on either opaque red or yellow with black splatter, or in the US, hit up Rad Girlfriend Records on translucent red, CD or cassette.
