Come Together! – Worn Inside Out

Come Together! are a melodic punk band from Minsk, Belarus. Their music leans toward the familiar 90s Fat Wreck scene. Their latest release, Worn Inside Out, is a 4 song EP from the group, which will likely serve as an introduction for most listeners in North America. The political instability of their home country, especially with its’ poor human rights records, seems like a fertile breeding ground for an overtly political punk group, but Come Together! largely avoid the temptation to speak freely. Instead, the lyrics lean more toward vague unhappiness, more in line with Rise Against or even Millencollin than Propagandhi or Refused. They suffer from awkward use of the English language, but to be fair, the Sex Pistols were one of the biggest original English punk bands and Johnny Rotten could barely string three legible words together.  

Behind the Horizon is the only overtly political statement on the album. It is a simple punk tune with the call to action fight back repeated many times, as they sing over the lanes, in the streets we take a vow, that none of this system’s beasts will see our bows. Admittedly, my knowledge of Belarus’ political struggles is relatively weak and informed with an outsider’s perspective, so my assumption that this song is in reference to their tyrannical leader and the police state in which they live may be incorrect. Maybe it is a call to fight back against sadness, a self empowerment anthem. Or maybe it’s a scathing indictment of Russia.

After the first song, the EP seems to focus on personal relationships, rather than political themes. Tim McIlrath and company again come to mind on Hila, an unrequited love song of sorts. The soaring chorus on Restless brings to mind AFI, as are the images in their lyrics, such as all the roads are now taking you away from me in this autumn chilling mist.They slow things down on Walking Million Miles, expressing the weariness that comes with life on the road, far from the one that you love (who may not share your feelings). The vocalist’s accent may be distracting for some listeners. It is thick and struggles with some words, being vaguely reminiscent of Gogol Bordello’s Eugene Hutz or some of the Swedish offerings from Burning Heart’s heyday.

In the end, this is a decent introduction to a  band from a relatively new country and even newer punk scene. Come Together! are an interesting discovery from overseas. They are still a little rough around the edges, with some flaws that some might find off-putting, but overall, they play melodic punk rock with a lot of heart. The EP is available for free download through Bandcamp, so listeners who are intrigued should check them out. It’s always great to support indie bands and discover new music.