Done With You – “Pass It On!”
“Done with you!”- These are the very words that Shawn Refuse used when leaving his old band, Refuse Resist. “I’m done with you guys holding me back. I could be in Hollywood right now. Yeah, doing screen tests. Or maybe in the Big Apple-New York- where I’ll get my big break!”
Some may say Shawn moved to New York City to be with his sweetie, Lyz Red, a great girl whose outer beauty matches her insides as well. That would be more of an ample reason but I, unfortunately, think I’ve got it right. I’m seldom wrong as anyone who reads our dual texting reviews can attest to.
Done With You is a New York City hardcore unit featuring two ex-Bostonians, Shawn Refuse on vocals from Refuse To Resist and Todd Wilson on guitar from Razors In The Night. Folks should already be aware how great these bands were and are (in the case of the Razors) and should be assured that they’re still doing great stuff in their new band. And the rest of the band, including an incredible drummer, is top notch, too.
I’ve been fortunate enough to catch the band the two times they played Boston and they sounded great. Now let’s check out their new CD.
“Done With You” is a ferocious number barreling out of the speakers into your ears like a runaway train over a mountain cliff. The growling, incensed vocals compliment the bombarding rhythms and grinding guitars. And my initial negative take on the phrase “done with you” meaning, I guessed, “I’m through with you” is now corrected.
“Self-esteem has gone away/ Try to find out who I am/ All I know is here and now/ The songs we write for the love of sound/ The music, the life, is done/ The music, the life is done with you.” It clarifies that the audience, the community are equal partners in the music, the life and I couldn’t agree with this sentiment more. “’Cause I couldn’t live my life this way if it wasn’t for you/ music is done with you.”
This song is full of commitment, passion and energy and the guitars recall The Circle Jerks which is a wonderful thought to have and this is a wonderful song.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/01 Done With You.mp3|titles=Done With You]
“One Way Street” starts with some ominous garage, punk chords as the rhythm section throttles away and the vocals grab you by the throat to scream in your face intensely. “You don’t know me/ Don’t even try/ I can see through you/ And all of your lies.”
In the middle everyone drops out to let the bass chug along for a few bars then a moderate beat with a guitar solo leads us on before crashing through the barriers once more in a hardcore headlong dash. “First you try to be my friend/ But I can see through your disguise/ You’re nothing but transparent man/ It’s you that I despise.”
Great tune and I feel privileged to have a song dedicated to me!
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/03 One Way Street.mp3|titles=One Way Street]
“Answers (or something like that)” starts with a buzzing, trebly bass until a locomotive drum beat ignites the song as the guitars come roaring in with an almost Motorhead feel. The song features excellent drumming, short pauses in the rhythm, times when everyone but the vocals and drums drop out and some black metal backup vocals sneaking in here and there. Also, an honest to goodness good guitar solo!
“We are always looking for an answer/ no one ever recognized our lies/ there is nothing, nothing we can’t beat/ As long as we are honest with our lives.” This is an honest to goodness kick ass song and my favorite on the album. This tune is more rock’n’roll than hardcore and it sure to pulverize your eardrums to a bloody pulp.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/04 Answers (or something like that).mp3|titles=Answers (or something like that)]
Done With You is another example of an exemplary New York hardcore punk band. And unlike New York sport teams which are the musical equivalent of Miley Cyrus fondling Justin Timberlake’s ball sack, this band is potent, important and delivers what it promises.
But I propose an amnesty between this unnecessary sport team’s division and call on us all to realize we are all East Coast punk rockers and for that we have a lot in common.
So let us celebrate our half Boston, half New York band- Done With You and let us learn and take an example from them to live in harmony and peace.
Or we can just put on this album and mosh ourselves to death. What a way to go!
(Slimedog)
