Album Review: The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - I Am The Enemy

Some may recall a time when ‘Face Down’, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus’ lead single from their first album ‘Don’t You Fake It’, was every angsty teenager’s staple emotional rock song, blowing up the pop and rock charts alike, successfully elevating the band to an ephemeral fame. Making a slight return towards their heavier sound, 2011 sees the five-some release their third album ‘Am I The Enemy’ hoping to emulate the success of their previous albums.

Yet it’s difficult to assess TRJA as anything else but a singles band, essentially counting on the popularity of videos and air play to keep the band relevant to the public eye. Immediately noticeable is the manner in which every song is made to sound the same. From the lifeless guitars, to the overuse of radio-friendly synthesizers, none of the tracks truly stand-out, meaning any of the album’s songs could potentially be issued as a single (and would likely be a successful one, at that).

The main issue lies within the conflict between the perceived heaviness of the band and the album’s production. Indeed, for every prospective moment of actual rockdom there is an entire song of processed vocals and generic musicianship to take away any credibility the band might want to build up. Moreover, with tracks like ‘Where Are The Heroes’ and ‘Angel In Disguise’, it’s difficult to understand how the band’s message hasn’t become somewhat at odds with its audience.

Here, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus have simply delivered exactly what they could have been expected to, and they’re unlikely to make many new converts. If you’re the type of listener who enjoys hearing the imperfections of the instrument and the texture of a voice, you’d be better avoiding this album entirely. On the other hand, if you can look past the cheesiness and repetitiveness, you might be able to get a few pop-rock danceable moments out of it. At best.

2/5

'I Am The Enemy' is out now.

James Berclaz-Lewis