Kentucky natives White Reaper have been genre-agnostic since their first record. Over the years, influences like punk, metal, garage, and even pop have taken over songs and Only Slightly Empty, their latest LP, carries on that tradition.
Coming almost three years after Asking for a Ride, the band even sneak in a little grunge with their latest offering. The album opens on “Coma,” an under-two-minute burst of early ‘90’s Seattle guitars blending with melodic vocals before they move into more garage rock territory with “Blink,” one of the strongest moments on the album.
“Honestly” is another high point, with its stabbing fuzzed out guitars competing with quirky ‘80s synth mixed throughout. “Freak Show” and “Eraser” both bring back the punk influences blended with power pop. Meanwhile, “Blue 42” is the only real misstep on the album. The mid-tempo track, mixed with sound clips, sounds like an old Eve 6 song that never made it onto a proper record. But the band recovers quickly and ends strongly on two slower, but still solid songs, “Rubber Cement” and “Touch.”
The three subsequent years between records were far from relaxing with the band dealing with label woes, lineup changes, burn out, and writer’s block. But the group seems to finally have overcome all, resulting in a remarkably solid, if at times ‘90s nostalgic album.
