(A Mediocre) Soundtrack to a Revolution

In recent years – and spurred on by the current political climate – we have seen the rise of many a new anti-establishment artist. From the hosts of MCs on the Definitive Jux label, to punk bands such as Anti Flag and Rx Bandits – heck, even traditionalist piss-n-fart acts such as NOFX and Eminem (Mosh?) – the anti-establishment genre is seeing a surge. Ross Golan & Molehead are part of this recent revival.Reagan Baby, RG&M’s debut album, is a primer in leftist politics 101. Whether tackling issues such as U.S. imperialism and hypocrisy (“M.I.A.”), corporate America’s uncontrollable avarice (“Martha Stewart”), or the realization of an Orwellian world now come into fruition (“Blinded by the Right”), RG&M have not only done their homework, but wear their political philosophies/criticisms on their sleeves. Perhaps that is why it pains me to give this band a mere half thumb up.

Lyrically, Reagan Baby is spot on. Musically, however, it struggles. Sounding like a nascent version of 311 with its mixture of reggae rap-rock, Reagan Baby finds itself seeking direction. Production-wise, RB is a very simple sounding project as songs range from guitar heavy rock to hip hop to soft sounding melodies. Golan’s voice can be exasperating at points as he switches inflections from his dubbed-out, stoner jam-band voice (think Jason Mraz), to his suburban, angst-ridden, high pitched singing à la Linkin Park. When singing the softer songs, however, Golan proves that he is actually a gifted singer. Unfortunately, most of the songs on RB don’t allow him to show this off.

Fans of liberal ideology will surely love this album’s message. The music, on the other hand, may be a different story.