Playing IN Traffic – Mix It Up /\ Mix It Up /\
Playing IN Traffic – Mix It Up /\ Mix It Up /\– Album Review
From what I can tell, this N.Y.C.-based band has been workin’ on this record for at least three years, and probably much longer I’d reckon. You’ll find the roots of Mix It Up /\ Mix It Up /\ posted up back in 2021 at the ol’ station at ReverbNation, and a more recent posting of it remastered at Spotify from the beginning of 2024. The band has been together for fourteen years according to the notes I’ve got here, though it sounds like much of that was spent largely playing under a different name. That’s all I know.
Anyhow…here we are! They’re Playing IN Traffic now, and it’s “Just Another Day” as they seek to Mix It Up /\ Mix It Up /\. For a moment, at least at the start of the opening tune on this record, heck, you might even swear that these dudes were fairly friendly! Don’t panic you Hard-Rock/Metal fans, before the first minute is up, they’ll contort themselves into a much more extreme sound, flip the switch and start melting faces accordingly. So you end up with this like…loose take on the early Chili Peppers sound at the beginning, before Playing IN Traffic transforms into the heavier side of their vibe & starts screamin’ atcha. They play with commitment, and they weaponized the versatility of their sound with authority as they morph into a powerful display of rage-ridden B.D.E. you’d find in something more like Ministry.
“Nothing Is Real” is much less ambiguous in that regard – we’re just goin’ with the Hard-Rock/Metal combo now, which is the gear you’ll find the majority of what Playing IN Traffic clings to. Difficult genre to stand out in…they’re somewhat retreading terrain that was pulverized by early Disturbed and Korn back in the day…a little bit more theatrical flair to be found in the way that Karais James sings I suppose. You hear those harmonies come through really well around the 1:15-mark…that’s closer to something along the lines of King’s X, and I can get behind that…if anything, I’d have looked to add in a bit more of that if I was Playing IN Traffic. That’d help them expand their accessibility I guess…but I don’t really get the sense that accessibility is a major priority in this band. They seem like the type that if you dig what they do, there’s plenty of room on their bandwagon to find a seat…and if you don’t, then kindly fuck off and keep moving. I find myself in limbo here at the start somewhat…I like that I can hear the band playing lights-out on all fronts, that kind of stuff matters to me. Material-wise…I’m more on the fence.
It’s interesting to me in the sense that, you listen to a track like “River” and you can hear them straddle that space in between where something like Alice In Chains got their thing and Guns & Roses did theirs, but overall, there’s still this continual hint of a more traditional Metal vibe at the core of what they do that’ll remind you of something like Sabbath, or like a more serious version of something like Kiljin that you’d find in the independent scene, even though something like “River” is even more comparable to that band with the extra laughter in the mix along the way. Like I was tellin’ ya earler, Playing IN Traffic is probably more of a hybrid band than they likely get credit for being. The hardcores out there will recognize how often they switch things up, but to the outsiders of course, heavy just sounds heavy and they tend to leave things at that. But like – listen to the way a track like “River” begins with its nearly Stooges-esque energy, drifts into a more serenity-driven metal, flashes Grunge traits as it plays on, and eventually taps into the main meat of its Hard-Rock sound, before they haul out the freakin’ harmonica at the end. You see what I’m saying? Lots goin’ on within the music here on Mix It Up /\ Mix It Up /\.
Even on “Empty,” it starts out feeling like you should desperately search your jeans to get your lighter out and fired up for the babymaker at the very beginning, but as they seem to be inclined to do each time, Playing IN Traffic eventually gets to the heavier elements and leans on those the hardest. Right now, I’d tell ya that the biggest obstacle I can hear in this band’s music is finding a way to overcome the barriers they have with the material being memorable enough…because right now, I’m not entirely convinced it is if I’m being truthful with ya. I can hear a million reasons as to why they’d quite likely earn a reputation as a memorable LIVE band – but that’s a very different thing than songs being memorable – you feel me? I’m sure they crush stage after stage – you can hear they’ve got that in by the way they commit to these tunes whenever they’re pushing record…performance-wise, I don’t feel like we can ask for anything more than what they’re giving us. Is the average everyday listener going to be able to remember what makes a song like “Empty” sound like “Empty” and not Mix It Up /\ Mix It Up /\ with another track somewhere in the lineup? The strength of the material is where I’m hearing the most potential and opportunity for Playing IN Traffic to evolve, but there is real identity in the way they play.
In my personal opinion, they do really well when they incorporate a lil’ Funk into the mix, like they did at the start of this album and like you’ll find at the core of what’s working best on “Bogart.” Bass lines from Shane Samo deserve real credit for the extra bounce and edge they have in this tune…and I dig that they’re still playin’ around with a sense of humor in a seriously professional way. “Bogart” is one of those tougher tunes to examine, because they immediately present a high level of accessibility as the verses in this cut begin, then actually dial things back when it comes time to rock the chorus…so like, in continuing the same argument I was just making about “Empty,” what was making this song memorable is the part they seem to eventually leave behind in favor of the rest. I’ll be upfront and fully disclose that part of how I feel is definitely based on personal taste to a degree – I think they’re killin’ it in the verses of “Bogart” to the point where I’d have damn near sworn they were closing in on single-worthy terrain…but as always, I do my best to remain brutally objective too – so it’s not just personal taste that I’m talkin’ about. I think the pieces surrounding the main verses of “Bogart” aren’t as memorable really, and that’s kinda all there is to it. To me, Playing IN Traffic will benefit by identifying the strongest pieces of what they’re rocking with, and potentially trimming the fat a bit. Proportionally, we spend a whole lot less time with those verses in comparison to the rest & that’s something they might wanna consider.
“WE H8 U Anyway” – well fuck me, right? It’s all good, I get where they’re coming from and barely like anyone myself either. They’re rockin’ the groove pocket here, with James snarlin’ his way through this song, adding an extra layer of growl and venom to fuel this anthemic tune. I like what they tap into around the 2:55 mark, even though that’s just a brief part of this song, and guitarist Raymond Carroza deserves a whole lot of credit for the solo you hear afterwards, in addition to the solos he’s put into this record overall. They’re intentionally rowdy and provocative on “WE H8 U Anyway,” and once again, I feel like you can hear how the energy they create likely transmits even stronger from the stage playing live. They get the bigness they’re aiming for in this recording, which is obviously a good thing, but I’d still suspect they’ve got a whole other gear they’re able to tap into when dominating the stage, likely taking the showmanship element of their attitude up a notch or two further. I maintain…I’m not fully sold on the material itself necessarily being incredibly memorable, but I do believe the band would be if you happen to catch a set. There’s a lot of personality in the music that Playing IN Traffic is creating.
“Kool Ade” is a great example of a track that IS more memorable than the rest, even though I’m not as sure that necessarily works to their advantage in this particular instance. It’s different…hell, musically, they’re bordering on the fringe of being Primus-like, and that’s rad. It’s the kind of stylistic switch that snaps us back to full attention, because it’s different than what they’ve been doing, you follow me? I end up feeling a bit similar to this track as I did about “Bogart” earlier on in that it’s everything surrounding the chorus that ends up being this song’s strongest elements, but I still feel like even the chorus has a chance at taking a swing at the definition of ‘memorable.’ Ultimately, “Kool Ade” feels like it’s one of their most innovative and inventive tunes – maybe even one of their most challenging and adventurous to play as well in the verses…and the chorus dials that back a bit towards what’s gotta be a bit easier for the band to rock out with. Maybe a bit of an imbalance to reconcile here, but at the same time, one part’s energy greatly contributes to the other and vice-versa. If the chorus wasn’t as ordinary as it appears, would the verses be as extraordinary as they are? That’s the million dollar question right? I’ve gotta advocate on behalf of them pushing to be the best they can be…so when they run into a case like “Kool Ade,” it’s about continually raising the stakes, branching out from what starts out as their creative best on this song, and finding a way to make that chorus make everything even more exciting. As it stands right now, I feel like it’s the verses of this song most people would look forward to hearing. Nothing wrong with that of course…it’s a bit of an anti-chorus in that kind of structure/design scenario, but if that’s what they’re going for, then rock on I say. If it’s not, then there’s work to be done and more space to evolve in what they do. All those decisions are well above my pay grade – I’m just an observer.
They get closer to the kind of sound you’d find in The Cult on “A Dead Man’s Hymn” – or perhaps more accurately, James does. Musically, Playing IN Traffic is still much heavier than The Cult would be considered to be by comparison, but you’ll hear what I’m talking about in the way James sings the opening verse of this cut. You can also cite Danzig for the same reasons if that makes ya more comfortable…you get the point. There’s a performative flair in the way he approaches this song, and I feel like listeners will respond to that overall. “A Dead Man’s Hymn” is one of the shorter tracks on this album, and it’s focused in a way that will likely be appreciated…this is a solid example of what I meant when I was talkin’ about trimming the fat earlier on. From the moment that “A Dead Man’s Hymn” kicks into gear, it’s like the band was on a mission with a unified vision of how they wanted to get from point-A to point-B without roaming too much terrain in between in search for the strongest parts. This song sounds like they know what works within it, forwards & backwards, and the results reveal that tightness.
As “The Preacher” makes fairly clear at the start in the Spoken Word element, Playing IN Traffic simply has a higher appreciation for straightforward Rock & Roll than I’ll probably ever be fortunate enough to possess. I recognize my shortcomings…it’s just not really my thing is all. Doesn’t mean I don’t love a ton of what’s out there – of course I do. Doesn’t mean I don’t hear that these dudes do it well – they do. “The Preacher,” for its five plus-minutes in length, is actually one of the more focused tracks again from start to finish, even if that’s a much more dedicated effort to a specific style of Rock than the band exercising the level of versatility that they have in most tunes on the record to this point. I don’t need to love the genre to appreciate the fact that “The Preacher” gives them a decent shot at being listened to in that regard…there’s stuff here that true fans of Rock will dig for sure. James has a few questionable high notes here and there in this cut…nothing too tragic and still coloring inside the lines just enough. Where I felt like “The Preacher” was able to shine its brightest was in the rhythm section. Shane’s killin’ it again, and Jim Horan, who has been lighting up the drums all throughout this entire record and should have had multiple shout-outs by now for his efforts, lays down a seriously wicked drum solo on “The Preacher.” It’s Rock, and it’s basically impossible to reinvent the wheel in that genre at this point in time, but I can certainly acknowledge that Playing IN Traffic is having fun while keepin’ ya entertained.
They’ve got an explicit tag beside each and every one of the songs in the lineup on Mix It Up /\ Mix It Up /\ – is that because they are, or just because it’s easier to label’em that way because people would likely assume that they are based on the beastly sound? I’m sincerely asking! I haven’t heard all that much in the way of cussin’ – even on “WE H8 U Anyway” it wasn’t like they straight up told us all to FUCK RIGHT OFF…each track sure sounds like it has the potential to say such things with such a venomous vibe, and I caught at least one swear word on “Until They Bleed,” but for the most part, they’ve behaved themselves fairly well, haven’t they? Anyhow. I’d understand if they wanted to simply paint all these tunes with the same brush, because it is a little bit like that on the listening side of the speakers as well. Like, if someone was to say that a track like “Until They Bleed” isn’t really pushing a whole lot of buttons that they’ve already pushed so far or furthering the content of the album all that significantly, I’d listen to that argument. Do I mind it? Love it? Hate it? I mean…I feel about the same towards it as I do with the vast majority of the material on this album…it’s a great advertisement for what they’d be like as a live band, and I can hear how their dynamics would serve them perfectly onstage…but yeah man…being truthful with them, I’m not so sure about whether or not things translate enough in that way throughout the context of a recording. “Until They Bleed” is another decent track on a record that has plenty of’em.
Even in the case of “The Anger Room,” which is the first of two bonus tracks, I felt like I appreciated the attempt at doing things differently, even though I wasn’t at all sure it really worked out for’em this time around. When they switch gears and get all kinds of crunchy with it just past the fifty-second mark, that’s where the band starts to really excel. Before that point, in the verses…I don’t know man…it’s not workin’ for me. Respectfully, I felt like they shot just wide of the mark on “The Anger Room” and didn’t quite nail it in comparison to how tight inside their sound that they’ve been throughout the rest of the album’s set-list. Carroza essentially proves to be superhuman in the solo of this cut, so there’s that – that’s probably my main positive when it comes to this particular tune. Bonus tracks are a hard go…you never really know if they were fully finished ideas or if a band was testing the waters…it’s tough to tell, and the results of “The Anger Room” seem like it could be either of those cases…like it still needed a bit of time in the incubation stage, or some true objectivity & conversations about it not quite reaching the standards they set along the way. It happens. Honestly, it’s no big deal, it happens to the best of the best from time to time…we all get so wrapped up in new material and being the creators behind it that sometimes it’s extremely hard to not be blinded by that. There’s always the possibility that it’s just ME too – you know I always tell you that. If “The Anger Room” is your jam, turn it the fuck up and enjoy! We all dig different things about the music we listen to…I ain’t telling you not to like this song if you do. I suppose what I’m saying is that they’ve already shown me a bit more than they’re giving us on this first of two bonus tracks, and because of that, I want a little more outta them than I feel like we’re getting on “The Anger Room.” Does that make ME the villain? For encouraging them to keep reaching for their undeniable best, and/or to cut anything that doesn’t seem like that’s what they’ve got? Then so be it!
Credit where credit is due, Karais has got a whole lot of range, capabilities, and different ideas on how to approach this Rock/Metal hybrid sound of theirs. I listen to a track like “The Slow Crawl” and can definitely appreciate that it takes a high level of skill to switch back and forth between screaming and whispering, growling and talking, yelling and singing…I mean, there’s a ton of different gears that he has to adapt to in a short amount of time, and he’s proven time and again to be a force to be reckoned with. The band alongside him…I feel like the same can be said for them on a musical level too – they play with demanding dynamics, and I never felt like there was a noticeable weak point in the players of Playing IN Traffic. I think they’ve got some work to do when it comes to bridging the gap between how gripping the actual material is versus the way that they play it…that’s my main comment here, take it or leave it. I don’t know how many of the songs that I’ll necessarily remember from Mix It Up /\ Mix It Up /\ – but I WILL remember the band, that’s what I’m saying. Really, that’s a positive to build on…and for what it’s worth, they’ve got my honest opinion on where their strengths are. I’d even go see them live in concert if they came all the way to Canada, because I can easily hear that they’ve giving it everything they’ve got and that seeing them play these tracks would probably be pretty damn mind-blowing. I dig the extra bounce of the bass in “The Slow Crawl,” and feel like this would be up there with the most accessible cuts on this album too…it’s got good balance between the untamed wildness & unapologetic nature of their personality, and a sound that people would want to hear more than once. There’s uniqueness to “The Slow Crawl,” but also enough familiarity for listeners to tap into…which makes for a great ending.
Find out more about Playing IN Traffic at their official website at: http://www.pitraffic.net
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