One Man Army

Rumors and Headlines (2002)

Chris Moran

To start, I have to be honest. OMA would have to take a dump, put it on cd, package it with artwork, and market it to the public for me to give them a lousy review. It just seems to me that these guys can do no wrong.

'Rumors and Headlines", the band's 3rd full-length studio release and debut on BYO, is nothing short of spectacular. The band has seemed to mature further into their unique blend of street punk and classic rock n' roll. Produced by Kevin Army, who also had production credits on the band's debut album 'Dead End Stories', the album has a more subtle and grittier sound than the production work offered on the last album, 'Last Word Spoken' by Billie Joe Armstrong.

Most noticeable is the new inception of shout along choruses, with vocals provided by all three band members. Any OMA fan may be a tad thrown off by the different sound, but eventually it begins to grow on you and seem completely natural.

The song structures have also been modified to reflect a more relaxed sound. Additionally, Jack has done some experimentation with his voice, which now seems to have less of the biting edge of previous work, yet bring a more melodic flow that compliments that overall sound offered.

'Rumors and Headlines' is not a sequel to 'Last Word Spoken', so to those expecting that, as I partially did, you will be surprised. Luckily, the surprise will be combined with the pleasure of listening to one hell of an album.