Righteous Jams

Business As Usual

[2/5] Boston hardcore is seemingly on the decline this year. Not only have Mental and Think I Care broken up, but the newest effort from Righteous Jams, Business As Usual, is lacking at best. And while the group’s sound was never a groundbreaking one, Business As Usual, more than anything else, finds them simply treading water. Their slow, churning style is one that quickly establishes a groove and does absolutely nothing to deviate from it. “Nothing Happens (Til It Happens)” exemplifies this point perfectly, as the two-chord progression found at the beginning of the song is the very same progression that all three minutes of the track build off. The vocals, like the instrumentation, are slowly and rather lifelessly delivered; only when there are a few sporadic guitar solos toward some of the songs’ ends do things change at all. Simply uninspired. (ABACUS) Jordan Rogowski