Bad Cop/Bad Cop – The Ride

How time flies in the music biz.  It’s been five years since Bad Cop/Bad Cop joined the Fat Wreck Chords family, but they’re already on their third full length.  The all female four-piece has become known for their snarky attitude and politically rebellious agenda.  Their new full length, The Ride, sonically returns to familiar ground, but offers the next evolution in the band’s lyrical focus.  This time around, Bad Cop/Bad Cop centres on themes of self-acceptance and personal wellness, pointing out that listening to one’s internal dialogue rather than slaving away to the march of society’s drum is about the punkest thing you can do these days.

The song “Simple Girl” does a good job of capturing the basic elements around which The Ride centres.  Rattling off descriptions of experiences that paint a portrait of complex life decisions, descriptions like “too wild and crazy,” “been somebody’s wife,” “guiltless,” and “insolent,” flood each verse.  “I’ll never be a simple girl,” sings Stacey Dee during the chorus, backed by the catchy march of a strong bass and big guitars.  It’s an empowering and liberating revelation that further links the societal to the personal in songs like “Originators” with lines like “Kill the machine and free from the flock,” and reminders that, “What you believe gives birth to who you are.”  Instrumentally, the band takes a sort of Bad Religion meets The Distillers meets labelmates The Bombpops tossed it  up in a blender vibe.  Tracks like “Certain Kind of Monster” and “Community” feature speedy verses and big gang-vocal led choruses that fit with the band’s SoCal association.  “Pursuit of Liberty” infuses a chorus of accompanying “woah-oah-oah” harmonies along with the question, “can this be America, land of the free, when for the first time I feel like a refugee?” 

The Ride is an articulate and energizing experience.  Bad Cop/Bad Cop really hit their stride a few years ago, and with The Ride, they just keep going.  With themes that deconstruct questions of self-worth and personal fulfillment in a mind-numbing image based society, the band’s blend of punk-rock and pop-punk are as introspective and observant as they are catchy.  With the right blend of energy and attitude, Bad Cop/Bad Cop have become a meaningful voice in a world of social change.  So buckle up, roll the windows down, and get ready for The Ride.