It isn’t often that R&B and Oi! punk sounds run together, but in the case of New York City’s 45 Adapters, it’s the basic foundation of their formula. Though it had been a couple of years since they released anything at this point, 45 Adapters quickly reminds us of all the things they excel at – visceral street punk, intelligent wordplay, and contagious singalongs.
The title track starts the listen and comes out swinging with a bristling delivery where backing vocals punctuate the chorus as the vocals are both tuneful and raw. An anthemic opening, the bouncy bass lines, and propulsive drumming still leave plenty of time for melody as the song addresses the status quo with regard to the current judicial system.
Side B doesn’t disappoint either, leading off with the gang vocals and speedy classic punk rock of “Cheap.” With singing that draws some parallels to Danzig’s time in The Misfits, this one’s a darker tune with an ominous tone that’s still got a chorus you can’t help but sing out loud to.
“You’re Dying” ends the listen and is the anomaly here that starts slower with an almost rockabilly spirit before bursting into charged punk territory that eventually becomes the most forceful of the tunes but is no less memorable.
A band who describe themselves as “five friends who dress well and drink heavily” and as “a truck full of Cock Sparrer records crashing into a truck full of Otis Redding records,” 45 Adapters brings a soulful quality into the sort of charged music that most pits were designed for.
Since this EP, the band has been a bit quiet as far as recorded material but they still play shows often. Let’s hope that another record is on the horizon, because this is one of the best releases on the always fantastic Pirates Press record label.<
