Revenge - Architects

Though the band is made up of three-fourths ex-Gadjits members, you won't find any horns on Revenge, the sophomore album from Kansas City's Architects. What you will find, however, is dirty rock & roll tinged with Southern heart and gritty, passionate attitude. Gravelly yet soulful vocals cut through searing guitar leads and a powerful rhythm section with enough fervor and style to bring out the inner redneck in even the most uptight of hipsters. It's kind of like mixing the essence of the Black Crowes with the attitude of the Hives and Rancid in a ramshackle roadside bar of cowboy boot-wearing patrons listening to AC/DC. And the music is fun. The exuberant "Widows Walk" and "Live Forever" own up to the band's rooted punk past, while the title track proves to be an affecting and searching quasi-ballad. Plus, the punchy, nocturnal realms of "Bury My Heart in Lebanon, MO" are just asking to be sung along to on the highway while driving away from one's hometown. With Revenge, the Architects have managed to serve up a solid rock offering with enough soul and punk urgency to keep things interesting from start to finish. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide