New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Vancouver punks Rare Americans break the rules and defy genre lines on DIY sophomore self-titled album, Rare Americans 2. Operating on a genuine fan-first basis, Rare Americans now sits on top of over 120 million global streams and over 400 thousand subscribers on YouTube since their arrival in 2018 and have never compromised their vision. The album tracks are featured on Spotify's New
Music Friday, New Noise, The New Alt, New Punk Tracks, among others.
Spanning across 16 robust tracks, each complemented by eye-opening animated audiovisuals (via Solis Animation), the new album allows listeners and viewers entry into the zany world they call Crooked City. With each release to date, Rare Americans offer comfort in walking your own path and tell stories of mental health, financial issues, systemic pressures, substance abuse to relationship woes and the struggle of finding your identity. By creating a candid dialogue and encouraging introspection by-way-of both the lyrical page and their narrative-driven videos, the band seeks to find hope while in turn fostering a community for all.
Frontman
James Priestner notes, "This record is a collection of short stories, which are often inspired by the struggles we all go through... However, this record isn't sad. It's hopeful. We all go through hardships, but it's in the ability to bounce back that we find confidence, purpose, and love. It's never too late to take control of your life. It's never too late to start over."
Rare Americans 2 notably features the two-part JUNO-award winning saga of "Brittle Bones Nicky." Debuting in 2019, the first part shines a light on Nicky - a kid who grew up in the foster system who just couldn't beat the odds against him. Amassing 60 million streams and over 30 thousand comments, thousands of fans formed a one-of-a-kind bond with Nicky as the underdog and all he represents, creating fan art around his story and even dressing up in character as Nicky at Comic Cons. "Brittle Bones Nicky 2" follows Nicky on his way to the afterlife. Taking an
Indiana Jones-like rollercoaster ride, he arrives at the gates of heaven and hell and ultimately learns his fate.
James Priestner of the band explains, "He figures he's a shoo in for heaven, but little does he know, getting in isn't so simple..." The track also reflects the band's dynamic range, blending elements from hip-hop to ska-punk and incorporating a makeshift orchestra, horns section, skank guitar, and 6 different voices to match the animation.
James adds, "It's an experimental song, not following popular song structure. It's designed more like a short film with the accompanied video."
"This song is a roller coaster," says
James Preistner about track 5 on the album. With lavish heavy-hitting rhymes, unconventional songwriting structure, and an adjoining fantastical Dr.Seuss-inspired visual, "
Hullabaloo" lives up to its hype. The song tackles the dangers of excessive capitalism, a shaky topic the band doesn't fear addressing (as also seen in "The Moneyz" - their anti-holiday hit which also landed on Spotify's New
Music Friday). Told through the eyes of James' animated counterpart, "
Hullabaloo" describes a dystopian corporate entity in a cult-like fashion, lulling civilians in through promises of grandeur before ultimately forcing them to drink a glass of literal kool-aid and brainwashing them. "This is our take on what a company like Amazon, or Apple might be like when you go far deeper than the surface,"
James clarifies, "The power these companies have is unprecedented."
In trademark Rare Americans fashion, "Gas Mask" bluntly lays out your options for you, crystal clear. "It's easy to get caught up analyzing (or regretting) the decisions you've made in your life," explains James, "Only you can pull yourself out of the holes, only you can be the one to take control of your life, no ones gonna do it for you." In the music video, guitarist Lubo Ivan's avatar plays the role of a once-decorated boxer who's previously fallen to the allure of drugs, booze, girls, and gambling after succeeding professionally as an Olympian boxer. As listeners watch Lubo's character train harder than he ever has to claw himself out of this hole, the hook repeats, "You've got two ways/You've got today/You've got to do what the f you say."
Rare Americans' forward simplification of a headspace we all struggle with is unapologetic to the point of empowerment. "Gas Mask" delivers the pep talk you didn't know you needed, to let go of your past and take control of your future--and do it today. Once you run past Rare Americans' course exterior, you're left with a band that has their listeners' health at heart, "The last repeated line of the chorus 'mind your head' means take care of yourself and your mental health,"
James emphasizes, "That's priority #1."
In a departure from their typical acoustic-punk style, Rare Americans weaves a tale of bittersweet regret in "Berlin." The music video walks listeners through a forbidden love playing out to the backdrop of the Cold War as our protagonists, one from East Berlin and one from West Berlin, become separated from one another. While stripped-down lyrics still brim with signature wordplay we've come to expect of Rare Americans, the track ebbs with a yearning sorrow. Bandleader
James Preistner admits, "It's heavy but maybe my favorite video that we've made to date."
"I've felt lost many times in my life, so I feel like I can relate to a lot of the Rare Americans listeners. I had to reinvent myself so many times over. I found songwriting, which I became totally enthralled by, but I felt like an imposter. It took years to convince myself I could actually do this." says
James Priestner. "A lot of Rare Americans fans are extremely talented artists from many different disciplines, but when I talk to them I can feel their lack of self belief. That can cause a host of mental anguish, and it's largely what a lot of Rare Americans 2 is inspired by. It's been a core part of Rare Americans to empower our listeners to believe in themselves, embrace their weirdness, and understand that you can control your own destiny. But it's equally important to communicate the amount of effort it takes to get where you want to go. It's our goal with the new album that people feel a sense of community and support in dealing with their issues, because we're all fighting similar battles."
