Rust’s “The Noise on 309” is Two Albums in One
Artist: Rust
Album: The Noise on 309
Released: May 12, 2017
Genre: Punk/Garage Rock
Allentown-based rockers Rust have pulled off a Jekyll-and-Hyde feat with the release of their new, nine-track volume, “The Noise on 309,” delivering punk and indie rock alike with a gritty, lo-fi edge.
The first half – referred to by the band as the “309” side of the album – is intended by the band to be higher-energy and more light-hearted than the latter. The band’s punk energy comes through in a big way. “Worried Mother,” a fun shout-along tune about moving to greener pastures, leads things off. “What’s a Little Sex Between Good Friends?” keeps things up-tempo while serving as an ode to the awkward one-night stand, while “18” critiques the trainwreck girl who thinks she has it all figured out.
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Things take a more serious turn by the time we get to “Train,” trading the band’s snarky punk energy for something much more brooding, all while retaining the band’s signature garage rock edge. A different, darker kind of intensity is present on this half of the album, known as the “Kings Highway” side; “The Wire,” a song that seems to signal the end of a relationship, features an intense, emotional progression, while “Scotty” builds to a wall of sound, led by the drums of Michael Mazzucco and polished off by the effects-laden guitar of Alessandro Consuelos
Things conclude with “Her,” the album’s downtempo, lonely conclusion, which borrows psychedelic rock elements reminiscent of Radiohead or, locally, Sing, Bird of Prey.
Track listing:
Worried Mother
What’s a Little Sex Between Good Friends?
Philadelphia
18
Wink, Wink
Train
The Wire
Scotty
Her