Resignation, The - Rx Bandits

In 2003 RX Bandits released this 'The Resignation' album through Drive-Thru Records. It was their fourth studio album as a band, and their second since changing their name from The Pharmaceutical Bandits to RX Bandits. Containing twelve tracks and clocking in at just under an hour in length, 'The Resignation' is an excellent album from the band and is one that I feel contains a large number of RX Bandits best tracks.

The first time ...
...to admit that I was not overly impressed. It's a definite grower though and after I gave it a couple of listens found myself to be greatly enjoying this album. It's now been a good few years since I first heard 'The Resignation', and I have to say that 'The Resignation' is still one that gets played by me really rather regularly. Powering off with the supreme 'Sell You Beautiful', never does this album disappoint and always in fact it impresses greatly. ... more

In 2003 RX Bandits released this 'The Resignation' album through Drive-Thru Records. It was their fourth studio album as a band, and their second since changing their name from The Pharmaceutical Bandits to RX Bandits. Containing twelve tracks and clocking in at just under an hour in length, 'The Resignation' is an excellent album from the band and is one that I feel contains a large number of RX Bandits best tracks.

The first time that I listened to the album 'The Resignation' I have to admit that I was not overly impressed. It's a definite grower though and after I gave it a couple of listens found myself to be greatly enjoying this album. It's now been a good few years since I first heard 'The Resignation', and I have to say that 'The Resignation' is still one that gets played by me really rather regularly. Powering off with the supreme 'Sell You Beautiful', never does this album disappoint and always in fact it impresses greatly. The opening track is perfect here, 'Sell You Beautiful' is hugely energetic and powerful, it really gets you in the mood for the album ahead. I can have no complaints whatsoever with this track, always though RX Bandits albums come complete with a brilliant first track so it is really no surprise that 'The Resignation' album does not buck with this tradition.

'Overcome' is one such track that I consider to be one of the best that RX Bandits have ever recorded as a band. The lyrics are hard hitting, the melody is excellent, and everything about the track just seems to come together perfectly. The track is just under four minutes long, and although I generally require for my music to be quite hard and fast, and for the tracks to be relatively short, RX Bandits are one band that I feel make excellent use of longer tracks in the four minute and above category. Few bands can hold my full undivided attention for such prolonged periods of time, always however RX Bandits success in impressing me on this album and even when the tracks are six minutes long even I am always entirely enthralled.

'Republic' is one of the more explosive offerings from this album, the drum beats are excellent, and the great use of guitar riffs here makes for an extremely enjoyable listening experience. It is definitely the guitars here that make 'Republic' so powerful, the vocal tone is no different to usual and is in fact quite laid back by RX Bandits standards. The guitars drive forward at all stages in this one, thus making for a thrilling four minutes of hard edged ska fun. It is the fun nature of the music of RX Bandits that I love so much, always the tracks are packed full of energy and excitement. Never are RX Bandits anything short of scintillating here, always the tracks impress and never does the band ever show any signs of weakness as a unit.

For its greatly interesting introduction which makes full use of the drum kit, 'Dinna-Dawg (And the Inevitable Onset of Lunacy)' is without doubt one of the most memorable tracks for me from this album. It's by no means the best that the band has to offer with this 'The Resignation' album, but the fact of the matter is that its introduction makes this track stand out strongly. Opening and closing tracks are of great importance to me, and similarly the starting and finishing points of tracks are pivotal moments also. Were it not for the introduction of 'Dinna-Dawg (And the Inevitable Onset of Lunacy)', I'd probably say that this is one of the poorest tracks from this album, it's not greatly exciting but it also has a powerful finishing point also as the band come to a screeching and in fact shouting halt.

The final two tracks of this 'The Resignation' album are absolutely excellent. 'Pal-Treaux' is an impressive number from the band which once more makes great use of the guitar and drums also. The vocals are well put across, and nothing sounds at all out of place as RX Bandits charm their way through this supreme penultimate moment in 'The Resignation'. It's lead up to and progression into final track 'Decrescendo' is totally sensational, and I have to say that this final track is one of the best that I have ever heard. Such great energy, excitement, and above all passion is exhibited in 'Decrescendo', few tracks impress me as much as this one does and it is not often that you are treated to such brilliant music. The drum beats I feel are central to the excellence of this one, they really are powerfully put across with great venom and bite. The vocals are as ever brilliant here, the vocal quality of RX Bandits is consistent through all of their studio albums and definitely a vital element of their sound. Sometimes a band can be vocally sound but musically inept, or vice-versa, but RX Bandits have got every element of their sound completely spot on and this is something that is always excellent to hear.

'The Resignation' is an all in all excellent album from RX Bandits, every element of the music comes together perfectly and as a band RX Bandits really do sound very tight as a unit here. This is something that has always been apparent in the music, there is a great togetherness with which RX Bandits play their music and all five of the bands musicians seem to want the same thing (or at least that's how it sounds). I can have no complaints whatsoever with this album, there are a couple of tracks that aren't necessarily as exciting as the others, but there are none here that I would say are disappointing. Disappointing is not a word that I would ever associate with the great band RX Bandits, when I think of them the thoughts I conjure are of power, energy, and great excitement; I have nothing but love for RX Bandits and would definitely encourage that the music be listened to by all. There is a great soothing nature about the music that RX Bandits create, the bands sound connotes nothing but great positivity and a supreme lust for life. 

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