Gatorface – Wasted Monuments

Thinking of Florida’s annual punk rock festival, The Fest, brings to mind beards, beer, and a weekend of gruff punk rock partying.  Since it’s inception, the soundtrack has become defined by its label sponsor,No Idea Records, and the stylings of festival frequenters like Hot Water Music and North Lincoln to name a few.  More recently, I’d like to add Orlando’s Gatorface to that exclusive list as a band now synonymous with the event.  Roughly polished, unconventionally melodic, and above all energetic, attending The Fest just wouldn’t be complete without pausing for a song or two from the four piece’s sweaty set.

Their latest release, Wasted Monuments, marks the band’s first formal full length, and makes them arguably the most obvious recent addition to No Idea Records’ active roster.  Best described as a fusion of poppy Copyrights-esque chords, Dillinger Four-like melodies and stop and go tendencies of The Descendents, Gatorface basks in each influence’s addicting simplicity.  From the first full track, “The Cleaner,” onwards and across the twenty-five minute album, Alex’s vocals snarkily rattle off witty lines of insight.

With a hint of bitterness just shy of anger and full of frustration, the band thrives on heavy doses of sarcasm.  Topics range from admissions of being cultural misfits (“Luxury Lost” and “More Harm”) to critiques of social and economic ignorance.  Gatorface sees negligent citizens as willful contributors to a society’s decline.  “Watching Tornadoes on an LCD, we’ve lost connection and concern… the cameras role and we’ll gladly watch” shouts Alex in “Armageddon At Eleven,” calling out the silent masses for distancing themselves from advancing issues.  In “Fuck Florida, I’m Moving To Brooklyn” the band touches on issues close to their home state, bring the “economic versus cultural” war to the fore while challenging “innocent” bystanders to stand their ground and give up their complacent state of mind.

Wasted Monuments ends with “Thanx,” a semi-sarcastic anthem giving gratitude to those who set the band on a realist’s path – exposing them to life’s disappointments at an early age.  The song reiterates key messages of living in awareness of injustice, rather than in a blissful state of ignorance.  To this end, Gatorface adhere to an admirable mission statement, making them natural spokesmen for their No Idea Records home.

The Fest is about small voices from a fringe subculture uniting for an empowering event.  With catchy grit and an inspiring message, Wasted Monuments positions Gatorface as a deserving Fest regular sure to keep the annual gathering true and honest to its roots.