Safety In Numbers

Build and Structure (2002)

Scott Heisel

Safety In Numbers is Andy Jackson from Hot Rod Circuit's pet project, and it's obvious from the first track. The album blasts right out of the gate with a sound very similar to HRC's first EP on Triple Crown - the main reason for this is because the majority of these songs were written back when Hot Rod Circuit was still called Antidote. Jackson originally intended these songs for the band, but instead set them aside for a few years. Now that they've had time to ferment, he's recruited some friends [most notable being Jake Cardwell of Reflector/The New Amsterdams] and made a band out of these "leftovers." How do they fare up?

Well, since it's the easiest comparison, they sound better than the newest Hot Rod Circuit album. The tracks have much more of a kick to them, partially due to the recording itself. It's not all glossy and perfected like their new album [and a lot of the new stuff on Vagrant]. The rough edges are all left intact on rockers like "Build and Structure," "Waiting Around," and "No Use." Speaking of "No Use," it was previously released on the band's split with Brand New, but it sounds like it's gone through a little fine tuning [and possibly a re-recording], so it sounds fresh and better than ever.

If you dig Hot Rod Circuit's older [pre-Vagrant] material, this CD is most assuredly for you. The emo-rock goodness is almost too good to contain. Sure, it's not breaking any new ground, but it's fun to listen to, and that's what everything boils down to anyways, isn't it?

MP3
Waiting Around