The Observer, September 8, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 2
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus delivers powerful debut
If you were one of the many playing Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, or All-American Rejects continuously this summer and wanting something fresh, then Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, a rock quintet from Middleburg, Fla. would be a great addition to your playlist. The band's debut album, Don't You Fake It, which came out in stores on July 18, shows a surprisingly mature sound for such a young band (the average age of the members is 21). Not only do they display a variety of musical skill as they easily transition between pounding rock and screaming lyrics in their opening track "In Fate's Hand" and gorgeous ballads like "Cat and Mouse" and "Your Guardian Angel," but their lyrics are well-written and meaningful. The content of Red Jumpsuit Apparatus' (RJA) songs vary, but where many new bands tend to steer clear of difficult social issues, or fail to convey their message, RJA handles serious issues masterfully, such as domestic violence in their first single, "Face Down."
Although the band's songs each have an emotional intensity and deep meaning, the name of the band itself is "…100 percent completely arbitrary," according to lead singer Ronnie Winter. RJA's members decided at the beginning to focus on their songs and attempt to develop not only their individual abilities but the group as a whole instead of worrying about a deep, symbolic name. Since its conception in 2003, when RJA was simply a few friends playing for themselves, they have had escalating success, starting with their first local gigs at places like The Art Bar in Florida, where they sold out the venue for their second concert. Encouraged by the response locally, RJA contacted a local studio to see if they were ready to record. This led to their first EP, which they used to promote themselves across the country online and at local concerts as they tried to position themselves for a major label. The long wait for a label caused several original members of the band to leave (Winter and Duke Kitchens, guitar, are the only original members left), which led the remaining band members to hold auditions that producedthe current RJA.
Eventually, RJA's fan base was too large for the New York-based label management to not notice. With the final addition of bass player Joey Westwood and a whirlwind of attention from the music industry, RJA signed a deal with Virgin Records. For their debut they teamed up with producer David Bendeth (previously working with Hawthorne Heights and Breaking Benjamin) and joined the summer lineup for Warped Tour. Then, on June 5, RJA's video was on the MTV program Unleashed, and began to attract a lot of attention. After Unleashed, RJA was part of the MTV/MTV2/MTVU promotional program, "Discover & Download" and the video for "Face Down" has been put into rotation on all of the channels, along with MTV Overdrive, the online channel. And as part of Warped Tour, RJA's following grew even larger. Afterwads, RJA began their own North American Tour, which includes a stop in Cleveland on Wednesday, Sept. 13 at the Agora Ballroom.
Overall, RJA is a band not to be missed. They have proven that they can work hard, and have developed a sound way beyond their years. I am sure that RJA will be heard more often in the upcoming months as more people are introduced to their powerful debut album. Each song from the album is a nice blend between a harder rock and more sensitive undertones, sometimes from their lyrics, other times from the few acoustic songs. From their attention grabbing lyrics to their chugging guitar chords to several tingling piano melodies, Don't You Fake It is definitely an album to add to your collection.
Check out RJA for yourself Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 8 p.m. at the Cleveland Agora Ballroom. Tickets are available for $9.23 through Ticketmaster.
