Indestructible

Rancid have come out on the losing end of comparisons with the Clash ever since they poked their heads up from the Bay Area punk scene. But it’s high time they got their due. There’s a lot more to Indestructible than just a return from their one-album hardcore detour (2000’s Rancid) back to the vibrant punk ’n’ roll that nearly made them a household name in the late ’90s. Previous recordings have hinted at Tim Armstrong’s unappreciated prowess as a vocalist, but we’ve never heard him sound as confident and playful with his words as he does shouting, slurring, and teasing new meanings out of them on tracks like the soulful “Memphis” and the dreamy ballad “Arrested in Shanghai.” With his lean bark, Lars Fredericksen plays straight man to Armstrong’s jester, as bassist Matt Freeman underscores the duo’s punchy guitar riffs with bass lines that dance a jig but never lose their place. So can we shut up about the Clash already?