“Break the glass in case of emergency / Open your arms to me” we’re told in the chorus of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus’ new single “Brace Yourself,” the vocals somehow matching the intensity of the adjacent riff in all of its metallic glory. Alongside the hook, the verses continue with “Brace yourselves in case of emergency / Open your heart to me,” a sense of brooding washing over the speakers that replaces the grit of the guitars with a feeling of poetic irony transcendent of lyrics and sonic parameters altogether. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus dispense maximum potency in this latest release; perhaps, some will find, more than they have in years.
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/redjumpsuit/?hl=en
I love the chugging riffs that draw us in at the start of this track, and had they not been mixed with as aggressive of a finish as they were, I don’t know that the song would have the some volatile, brash feel that it does in this present state. The guitar parts are generally thick and heavy throughout “Brace Yourself,” but they’re far from reminiscent of the mundane metalcore that imploded much of the late 2000s punk movement just when it was beginning to get really interesting for critics and fans alike.
A lot of bands that have been together as long as The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus have start to lost their creative duality upon return visits to the recording studio, but after taking a peek at the video for this most recent offering, that’s clearly not an issue for these guys. The complex structuring of the song on its own suggests that we should expect some level of elaborate compositional skills in the upcoming extended play The Emergency EP, and my gut tells me that this is probably just a generous sneak preview.
There’s not a ton of bass presence in this mix, but I don’t think there needed to be to create some weight in the backend of the track. “Brace Yourself” is already boasting some of the heavier guitars I’ve heard in a contemporary rock song this year – outside of the extreme, unmarketable indie acts that wind up recycling old QOTSA riffs – and this lean, whip-like bassline is probably better suited for its structure than any sort of sludgy sounds would have been. If 1.3 billion streams tells me one thing about this group’s creative talents above all else, it is that they know what they’re doing.
APPLE MUSIC: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/the-red-jumpsuit-apparatus/130037074?ign-gact=3&ls=1
Slick and efficient but not devoid of a carnal rock edge, fans of the alternative beat both past and present can’t go wrong in checking out The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus’ latest single and its lyric video this July. The Emergency EP is set to drop this August, but in the meantime, this is a great teaser of what could be another instant-classic for this long-running punk group. “Brace Yourself” doesn’t sellout their sound for the plasticity of modern pop, and as sad as it is for me to admit, that’s something we should be celebrating in 2020.
Troy Johnston