Review / 200 Words Or Less
Offsides
It's a Struggle to Communicate

Get Outta Town (2008) Michael

Offsides – It's a Struggle to Communicate cover artwork
Offsides – It's a Struggle to Communicate — Get Outta Town, 2008

Here's something new for you. Well maybe not new, but something we don't get much of these days. Offsides is a fast-paced melodic hardcore group from Connecticut with a female front-person. It's a Struggle to Communicate is the band's latest offering, a six-song EP.

Musically the group draws influence from legendary groups like 7 Seconds and Gorilla Biscuits. The music is charged with energetic drumming and some sweet riffing. You get some nice scorching riffs, but you also get bouncing melodies as well. It's a nice mix and contrast, which gives the EP a lot of personality.

Where the band will obviously distinguish themselves is with Danielle Allen's vocals. A female-fronted hardcore band isn't exactly an everyday thing in the macho world that is hardcore (don't act like it is). But regardless of her sex, Allen's deliver works extremely well with the sound quickly fired slightly higher-pitched shouts. Lyrically things cover social issues, another thing she has up on a lot of her peers.

If fast hardcore is your deal, check this out. Offsides write some slick tunes, and they have something worth listening to lyrically as well.

7.0 / 10Michael • August 3, 2008

Offsides – It's a Struggle to Communicate cover artwork
Offsides – It's a Struggle to Communicate — Get Outta Town, 2008

Related news

No Harm Done / Offsides Split 7"

Posted in Records on June 25, 2009

Recently-posted album reviews

Uranium Club

Infants Under The Bulb
Anti Fade Records, Static Shock Records (2024)

Do you take your punk with saxophone? Do you like post-angular guitars and rhythmic, near-spoken vocals? If so, Uranium Club is probably right for you. Apparently they call this egg punk nowadays. I would have called it art-punk. It definitely runs in the left-of-the-dial, DIY punk world, but has that glasses-wearing, proud-of-your-weirdness element that makes it hard to pin down … Read more

The Phase Problem

The Power Of Positive Thinking
Brassneck Records (2024)

I spent a good part of the late ‘90s annoyed at the abundance of Ramonescore. I’ll stand by my word: many of the bands of that era were carbon copies that didn’t bring anything new to the format. But time has passed and what was overdone is now a refreshing change of pace. For whatever reason, when I hear a … Read more

Totally Slow

The Darkness Intercepts
Refresh Records (2024)

I find Totally Slow a hard band to categorize. Their brand of melodic, hard punk is familiar and comforting -- rooted in ‘80s hardcore, ‘90s skatepunk, and post-something guitar-driven rock. The press release namedrops Dag Nasty and Hot Snakes, among others, which I think are good starting points. But while it’s familiar, it’s absolutely not a carbon copy. Like their forebearers, the songs … Read more