The Impediments are four young rockers from Berkeley (High School that is). Their debut self-titled CD holds nothing back, furiously pumping their punky garage rock from beginning to end almost sounding like a reissue of a forgotten record from the late 70s punk rock scene, but not quite. Which is a good thing! The production of Greg Ashley fits the music well without sounding like a complete copy of the music that it was influenced by. A heavy bed of murky bass and drums and the occasional piano leave room for a complete onslaught of rock guitar riffs and solos as well as some exceptionally humorous and sometimes crude lyrics.
There is an undeniable and unrelenting energy to the eleven songs found on Impediments. If you don’t find yourself tapping along to every part of “Violence” with its, well, badass guitar solo or the simpleness of “You Want a Square” then you probably have no rock and roll in you. This record is way cooler than the music most of us made in high school and the aesthetic sense and musicianship are rather impressive. A great CD from four young guys with probably the coolest record collections at Berkeley High.
Impediments is out now on Happy Parts Recordings.
-Glenn Jackson