Victrola Access To The Lonely [VINYL]

Access To The Lonely' is the sophomore LP from RID OF ME, the heavy melodic noise punk outfit hailing from Philadelphia. Written on the heels of the band's first LP 'Traveling' and carefully crafted throughout the strange times of 2021 & 2022, the album sees the band grow in every way possible. From the production to the songwriting twist and turns to maintain the best of what makes them unique, the band has reached a heightened level of maturity. 'Access To The Lonely' is like a prolonged sigh followed by a rushed scream after a weekend you'd rather forget. Recorded at Gradwell House Studios with Matt Weber (Sweet Pill), mixed at Antisleep Audio by Scott Evans (Thrice, Kowloon Walled City, Yautja), and mastered at Chicago Mastering Services by Matt Barnhart (Metz, Pissed Jeans, Bob Mould), the 37-minute album sees significant sonic development beyond anything the band has done to date. The once-core trio (Itarya Rosenberg, Mike McGinnis & Mike Howard) added longtime friend, co-conspirator, and fellow musician from previous bands, Jon DeHart, on second guitar, and his addition shines. This is a two-guitar album through and through. McGinnis and Dehart's melodies dance around the steady buzz-saw bass, and Howard's drums switch between immovable calming repetition to rapid changes from dance beats to blast beats and back again. The band's previous foray into bludgeoning noise punk peaks with dynamic and moody post-punk bummer valleys is pushed to a new limit on 'Access To The Lonely'. All capped by Rosenberg's brand of self-admonishing-yet-righteous personal storytelling that is frighteningly relatable.