The Generators

Life Gives, Life Takes (Randale)
By Mike Delano

Classic old school punk with a strong Bad Religion vibe. Considering The Generators have a 15+ year history, it’s no surprise that they create perfectly formed, impeccably molded songs like the ones on Life Gives, Life Takes, their 10th album. They probably rock out dozens of gems like these every day, so the fun part is taking a closer look at why they picked this handful as their new album and reading between the lines. Far as I can tell, these guys have been spending some time on the coast (the West one), staring out at the ocean and thinking about life. It’s kinda what us old bastards are prone to do. There are songs about getting washed away in a tidal wave, about “Heartbreak Beach,” about heat waves and about the Golden State. There are songs about getting the hell outta here (“Gotta Be A Better Way,” “Goodbye California”) that drip with a fatalistic subtext that knows no one is going anywhere. Despite all of this (very satisfying) sunset contemplation, though, the band always knows how to have fun, whether it’s the supremely catchy ska of “Heartbreak Beach,” or the playful “Devil’s Playground.” And this album hits at the right time – for summertime cruising with the windows down, there’s nothing better than the sounds of some L.A. punkers.
(www.randale-records.de)