Extra Arms – Headacher

Ryan Allen excels at writing what I would term as meaning of life songs. Songs of this ilk can be ponderous or lean on clichés. What amazes me about Allen is that his are passionate and descriptive. They’re catchy. And most of all, they kick ass. Such was the case with his last one, Basement Punk, and his most recent entitled Headacher.

Case in point; “Why I Run”. The pace is frenetic and the guitars thunderous as Allen reminds us that “That’s why I run – and I won’t stop until I’m done. It’s not a race, it’s a marathon”. Similar can be said for “Till the Casket Drops” as filthy, dirty guitars chug along right into a monster hook of a chorus.

While there’s no shortage of highlights for Ryan Allen fans here, my favorite track is a departure of sorts. The album ends appropriately with the acoustic “The Last One”. As a person fascinated by the creative process, I’ve often heard a songwriter or visual artist draw a comparison between the completion of a work and the act of giving birth or letting go. Sounds like Allen has done a great job of putting that expression to music in a most poignant way. It’s really memorable.

I’ve been anxiously awaiting this album more than most. So much so in fact, that I didn’t look at the release date. Extra Arms’ Headacher has a street date of October 12. This means that there are no sound samples available for me to include here. I sincerely apologize for this. Between now and the release date, please look back. As soon as they become available, you’ll find them here.

You can preorder the vinyl version on Ryan’s Bandcamp page now. It’s worth the wait. Believe me.

UPDATE: THE SOUND CLIP IS HERE! SEE BELOW.