I swear, this may sound like it has a back hand to the compliment, but there isn’t one. Okay, Bent Outta Shape, I’ll say it. They broke up to soon. I have no why idea—nor do I care about—how the band imploded, but I thought they were on the verge of flat-out greatness. So, like with when the space shuttle exploded, right, there were these huge chunks falling back to earth? Ringers caught, refurbished, and re-launched one of Bent Outta Shape’s fallen chunks of musical missile. Tell me “Nothing to Show” doesn’t owe more than a passing blush to “Solitary Now.” Now, here’s the weird part. Fuckin’ go for it, Ringers. Take that baton (with that Rancid O ring). Run with it. Bent Outta Shape stumbled, broke up, kaput. It’s your turn in the relay to run that year 2000+ torch of the Replacements/Hüsker Dü/good music/Leatherface up the stairs, and, I, for one, am cheering you on because it sounds like you’ve found your legs. What an infectious album.
–todd (1-2-3-4 Go!)