For folk punk fans, Andrew Jackson Jihad probably needs no introduction. The Arizona duo has owned the scene ever since their 2005 debut Candy Cigarettes & Cap-Guns established them as a hard-working and talented band with a knack for catchy melodies, simple chord progressions, and lyrics that were simultaneously hilarious and harrowing. Well, six years and two full-length records later, the band hasn't changed much in those respects. Their new record Knife Man comes out on September 20th--September 6th for those who pre-ordered it--and features the same spirit that made earlier releases great, conveyed through a slightly different musical lens.
The first track to be released from Knife Man is "Hate, Rain On Me", which premiered on the Alternative Press website back in July. Lyrically, the Who-referencing track is classic Andrew Jackson Jihad, with startlingly commanding words like the opening lines: "I wish I had a bullet big enough to fucking kill the sun / I'm sick of songs about the summer, and I hate everyone." Musically, however, the track exhibits a significant departure for the band. Here, they abandon their folk instrumentation entirely, plug their electric guitars in, and produce a storming punk rock song complete with charging bass, and multiple electric guitar leads. It's a style that they've been moving toward since 2009's Can't Maintain, and it's executed beautifully on this track.
As previously mentioned, Knife Man is out September 20th on Asian Man Records. It can be pre-ordered here.