The Rejected
Bet Your Hearts

LA RECENSIONE

Grunge never dies. Or at least that's what the Rejected want to convey, a band from Turin that, after a demo titled “Come Back Road” in 2012, have reached their long-awaited debut album thanks to the Genoese label This Is Core Music. “Bet Your Hearts” is the classic album that perfectly reflects the rebellious and transgressive spirit of the four Piedmontese musicians, angry with the world and ready to channel their rage into something constructive by playing music.

The album is undoubtedly very old school, both in the interpretation of the proposal and in the way it was developed, with a direct recording that brings to mind the '80s/'90s when electronics and computers were certainly not the norm when it came to entering the studio. Musically rough, “Bet Your Hearts” carries with it that sense of discomfort and rejection towards society that resonates with many young people (and not only), showing itself in its own way as interesting. Surely, with a larger budget at their disposal, the Rejected could have achieved sounds and technological improvements that would have made the album appealing even to those who don't understand much about music, but never as in this case can one speak of passion, that healthy passion that drives you to give it a try. And they are definitely doing it, offering potential listeners notable tracks like “Revolution” and “Krokodile” and bringing a good-natured smile every time the bass sound - sparse and devoid of any production - comes into play.

The musicians' look then makes it all the more subversive, with mohawks, leather jackets, dreadlocks, and a threatening demeanor that immediately conveys their warlike intentions. In conclusion, we could talk about a debut album that still has much to share with the classic demos, a characteristic that makes the Rejected a very old school band, and precisely for this reason, they succeed in pleasing me at first listen.