Red Jumpsuit Apparatus perfectly captures adolescence

By Sarah Abbott
South Charleston High School

I’m picky about music. I like lots of music, but it takes a really original band for me to love them. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is one of those bands. I haven’t been able to listen to anything but its debut, “Don’t You Fake It,” since I got it for Christmas.

Not only are the band’s lyrics unconventional and catchy, its music is a new, upbeat mix of pop, punk and screamo. But unlike other bands that scream just to sound angry, RJA only uses screaming in strategic places - to emphasize a point - so it actually sounds good.

All of the songs sound incredibly different from one another, but I love every single one. I can’t even decide what my top three favorites are.

“Atrophy” is definitely one, though. Its lyrics deal with a serious matter (drugs and the human population’s gradual wasting away), but I never get tired of listening to it. Its bridge is especially good, with some of my favorite lyrics on the entire album — “Break the walls between building atrophy, causing all your problems to recede.”

There’s also the beautiful ballad “Your Guardian Angel.” I sometimes lie awake in bed listening to it on repeat, letting it lull me to sleep. Its bittersweet words and simple melody strike at the heart, speaking especially to those teenagers dealing with unrequited love or a crush.

The hit single “Face Down” confronts another serious situation: abuse. Its lyrics are accusing, such as in the chorus when vocalist Ronnie Winter sings, “Do you feel like a man when you push her around? Do you feel better now? She falls to the ground.”

The album takes on other difficult issues, too — ones that a lot of lesser bands shy away from. Of course the band’s got its share of love/hate songs, like “Cat and Mouse” and “Damn Regret,” but even those offer a new perspective.

Even though a guy wrote the lyrics, these songs don’t make me feel uncomfortable with mentions of, um, amorous activities. That’s unusual in a band composed of all men.

Another of my favorites is the melancholy “Misery Loves Its Company,” which perfectly describes the nostalgia of being alone and the self-pity that such a situation often invokes. It’s easy to relate to, alternating between loud and soft. Winter’s excellent voice is especially noticeable in this song.

Every song on “Don’t You Fake It” explores some aspect of growing up and finding out what you’re supposed to do or be. From heavy rock tracks to heartbreaking ballads, this album has it all and is sure to be the first in a long line of excellent music from The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.