D.E.K. – Right Now In A Minute

D.E.K. – Right Now In A Minute / 2003 Broken Bones / 11 Tracks / http://www.brokenbonezrecords.com/DEK.htm / http://www.brokenbonezrecords.com / Reviewed 23 January 2005

The recording on “Right Now In A Minute” is rough, but so is the band, so I guess that everything works out in the end. Starting off “Right Now In A Minute” with the instrumental “F.P.S.”, the first real shot we have to listen to this band comes on “Hard”. “Hard” is a straight-forward punk song, more influenced by Rancid and California than the Ramones and New York City. Where there is not the hardcore (SOAD) influence in “Hard”, the same style of multi-part harmony ends the track with a much more cohesive sound than it started. Minor problems strike the band with the mastering of “All Thrills No Spills”, having the instruments tracked much louder than the vocals. The sad thing about “All Thrills No Spills” is that D.E.K. exploits one of the most memorable multi-part harmonies to push the track into bold, new directions. The stress on the last syllable of each line in the chorus (while it is derided by certain individuals as a rookie karaoke mistake) adds a different sound to the track that is absent from the average punk album.

Moving into a Leftover Crack-type of feel for “The Persistent Questions Nigel Asks Me…”, the standard distortion of the guitars that really becomes evident during this track can be said to be the main thing that is holding D.E.K. back from greater success. As a result, all following tracks have the same generic “guitar” sound even if they are miles away in style. Take, for example, “Questions” and “Worm” – Questions is much more based in the metal tradition while “Worm” has a Red Hot Chili Peppers meets House of Pain feel, and yet on this disc, sound alike because of this guitar. What I am afraid of is the average listener saying that D.E.K. is unoriginal just because they are listening to the guitars and completely missing the entire point of the disc.

This is the catchy brand of punk rock that has sadly lost popularity as the more technical style of hardcore has began to dominate radio and music video station. D.E.K. is all about having fun, providing music that the kids can sing along and mosh to, and the fact that this disc is a little rough shouldn’t matter. D.E.K. provides their listeners with a wide cross section of sounds, and unites it under an unfurled banner of punk rock – plunk down $5 and pick up this album.

Top Tracks: Kahuna, Hard

Rating: 7.4/10