Artist: The Exit
Album: Home For An Island
Label: Wind-Up Records
Release Date: 10/11/2005
Written by AJ, VP of Altsounds.com
The dreaded and anticipated Y2K came and went rather uneventfully. Although some feared the turn of the century, believing it to mark the end of the world, most looked at it optimistically, wanting a fresh start. Five years later, after seeing our world drastically changed by terrorism, political corruption, fear, war, tragedy and economic instability, the conspiracy theorists that were hiding in their bunkers with foil on their heads as the ball dropped suddenly don’t seem THAT crazy… their timing was just a little off. Even the wiping out of the Dinosaurs didn’t happen all at once. It seems large historical movements and the ‘shaking up’ of life on Earth takes place on a timeline larger than our own. However, what we have faced in just the last 5 years makes even the most skeptical raise an eyebrow.
Despite the clear markings of an inevitable social collapse, it seems that we as a people have rejected believing it was real. The media has had us gripped in fear, so many have just stopped listening to the news. While the majority of us have chosen to bury our heads in the sand and continue to sing along with superficial songs about girls and partying and bling, some artists have stepped up to the plate to not only remind us of the evil that surrounds us, but also to remind us of why it’s worth dealing with.
Enter The Exit, with their new album Home for an Island. Art in its truest sense, The Exit take a picture of life in a post 9/11 New York City and translate it beautifully into song. The trio of individually impressive musicians have combined forces to create an album of political punk with dub reggae undertones, powerful pop hooks and unexpectedly pleasant minor-key melodies, chronicling life in rather dark times. Songwriters Ben Brewer and Jeff DaRosa, have lyrically nailed their intended emotions, and back it up with well thought out tones and rhythms, not typically found in modern rock. Brewer’s guitar fiercely leads the group with understated power, with Gunnar’s jazz-infused beats and DaRosa’s grooving basslines providing a solid base for the subject matter to stand on.
Very reminiscent of The Clash and The Police, their debut release, 2001’s New Beat, only gave a glimpse into The Exit’s capabilities. Their new album, however, creates a sound wholly individual, charged with the energy of a live performance, while taking advantage of the tools a nice studio has to offer and the production talents of Ron Saint Germain (Sonic Youth, 311, Bad Brains). The end result is a realization of all the band stands for- technical prowess, deep lyrics, mainstream accessibility, and power that can easily carry the listener through the darkest of songs to find the optimistic message.
When all else is stripped away and we are left with the primary essence of what separates us from the animals, we are left with little aside from hope and love, subjects The Exit tackle beautifully through their assessment of recent times. With sound ranging from danceable reggae pop to deep, dark rock, Home for an Island is a riveting album, boldly reminding us of what it means to be alive.
www.theexitrock.com www.winduprecords.com 
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The Exit- Home For An Island
