2013
It was back in 2002 when the self-titled album first dropped. Whether it was shortly thereafter or a little down the road (into 2003) when I first heard the album all the way through I can't quite recall. But I do know that it was a different world and a different time for me and anything project that had Tim Armstrong (Rancid/Operation Ivy) involved I was most definitely interested in checking out. While it would take a little time for me to appreciate some of the tracks like "D.J. D. J." I was instantly hooked by the likes of "Tall Cans In The Air" and "Diamonds and Guns" (both of which became well known) as well as cuts such as "Sad But True" and "We Trusted You". I wasn't ashamed to admit that the album's mash-up of punk, reggae and yes, even the rap bits, made it a highly enjoyed album all around. So, when "Haunted Cities" arrived in 2005 I was hoping for more of the same from the guys in the Transplants, but instead the album sunk like a lead weight to these ears. It didn't have the same kind of spontaneous magic that their first release did. Instead it felt like they tried too hard. Fast forward all these years and here we see the group/project (which also includes "Skinhead Rob" Aston and Blink 182's Travis Barker) releasing album number three. Had it not been available through a library in my county I highly doubt that I would have given it the time of day. That would have been a shame as album number three is a lot like album number one for the Transplants. It's a cool mash-up of punk and rap, but with enough reggae (Rancid style) to give it both a serious punch and a series groove! Again the band is stripped down style-wise and the release carries a rather distinct free-flowing vibe. As someone who loves straight-up punk rock and reggae-infused punk rock it's one of those albums where's there's more then enough good parts to out way any bad parts. This one was definitely a pleasant surprise.
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