Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Red Jumpsioy Apparatus

Don’t You Fake It (Virgin Records US; July
2006)

Meet Red Jumpsuit
Apparatus, an alternative rock quintet from
Florida. Their album Don’t You Fake It dropped July 2006
and was certified gold by November. You’ve probably heard the radio
playing “Face Down,” the first single off their record. It’s
reached number four on the U.S. Modern Rock charts, but you might
not have realized it the song came from a new band. Even with its
dark lyrics confronting domestic abuse, the single and pretty much
the rest of the album sounds like a lot of other bands out there.
(Jimmy Eat World, Hoobastank and Story of the Year come to mind.)
“Face Down” is the strong point on the album, but the rest sounds
like background music for an MTV high school reality show series
montage. Considering the average age in the band is 21, maybe they
just need some time to create something a little more original and
mature, but the record is enjoyable enough. The lyrics are sweet
and accessible to ensure RJA radio success, coupled with just
enough screaming and musical edge to grace the stages of Warped
Tour 2007. Red Jumpsuit Apparatus scores points headlining the Take
Action Tour, coming to UCSB February 23rd, with a dollar off each
ticket sale dedicated to suicide prevention.