Useless I.D.

State Is Burning (2016)

Maximillian Power

Standing apart from the status quo skate-punk band, hailing from Israel, Useless I.D. definitely wear their political ideas on their sleeves. Coming together in 1994, Useless I.D. are not newcomers to the punk rock genre, their most recent release State Is Burning, being another successful addition to their growing musical catalogue.

Useless I.D. play a fast and to the point style of skate-punk, with a few slower pop oriented numbers thrown in for good measure, i.e. “Borrowed Time”. Useless I.D. are able to sound nostalgic, but on the flipside also able to remain fresh as the years have gone by. The beats are fast, the melodies are catchy and most importantly the songs are memorable.

State Is Burning features a slick and clean production, with a track listing that flows nicely through the 15 songs. Useless I.D. keep their songs short, three tracks don’t even break the one minute mark, with only one song going over three minutes. The most impressive part is that the songs don’t feel like they need to be longer, they are well written and have a perfect balance between the poppy melodies and straightforward punk attitude.

Political music isn’t always my favorite; it can be tough to balance ideas while still being open to interpretation, from my experience most people don’t appreciate things being shoved down their throats (whether they need it or not is another issue). Useless I.D. has managed to strike the right balance between relatable lyrics and political ideology. The music and attitude remind me a bit of Strike Anywhere, and that is a compliment coming from me in and of itself.

State Is Burning is another great punk rock release for 2016; it is great combination of 90’s skate punk and current ideas. If you like fast, catchy punk rock with a political flavor, State Is Burning is definitely worth your time.