Choose Your Own Adventure is the latest offering from Midwestern hardcore punk four-piece Get Rad.
“Be the Wave” is the first track. Seeing as how Get Rad is from Milwaukee, WI I’m not convinced the song is about surfing though. I suppose it could be a metaphor for skateboarding. Perhaps the wave is actually made of concrete? That means if you were going to be the wave, you would actually be made of concrete. Being made of concrete would be kind of be the opposite of rad though, which is weird because rad is kind of exactly what these guys want you to get. I mean it would be cool if you got in a fight or something. Your opponent would have to be made of jackhammer or ten years of bad weather to fuck you up. But if you wanted to cuddle with your sweetie, it would probably be really uncomfortable for them. And as much as fighting rules, cuddling is like, a million times better.
The next song is called “When Push Comes to Skate.” I’m thinking there is a really good chance that it’s actually about skateboarding this time. I was never that good of skateboarder though, so I’m hesitant to make the call on that. I mean I still buy Thrasher Magazine every now and then and watch some skate videos and stuff. But that’s mostly for the fashion tips. Aside from the tie-dye tee-shirt resurgence, skater kids have fashion dialed. Well, I suppose that is debatable. Hmff, whatever.
Speaking of the kids, that’s the name of the next song—“The Kids.” Remember that movie Kids? There were a lot of skaters in that movie. That one scene where all the skaters beat the shit out of that guy in the park with their skateboards is pretty serious. Too bad that guy wasn’t made of concrete. Anyway, back to the topic at hand… You’re not officially a professional punk rock band until you write a song about the proverbial the kids. So I’d like to take this moment to personally congratulate Get Rad for making it out of the minors.
“Take Another Look” is the fourth track. It’s less than a minute long but it is badass nonetheless. However, what you should really be taking another look at is, is the packaging of this record. It’s a sweet blank and white eight-page Choose Your Own Adventure-like booklet. Appropriate, I know, right!?
The final song is “The Ultimate Adventure.” Eh, more of the same, only twice as long. Maybe that’s what makes it so ultimate. Kind of like when you’re watching fireworks and they have the grand finale’. It’s exactly like the last five minute, just more of it, all at one time.
Choose Your Own Adventure starts and ends like any proper hardcore punk record should; screeching guitar feedback that gives you that standing-in-a-tiny-room-with-just-the-band-and-your-buddies feeling. Which, I might add, is great place to be. Trust me, I’ve been fortunate enough to see this band live, and it’s a pretty fun experience. Get Rad isn’t reinventing the wheel, but that matters not, as the wheel works fine already. This is five songs of catchy, energized hardcore punk. If you’re a fan of the good old loud-fast-rules, you probably won’t hate this. Of course, you probably won't be enamored with it either.
