Before the Warning
Delayed Gratification
(Cacophone Records)
In true punk rock style, this debut record from Albany’s Before the Warning zips by in less than 20 minutes. Comprised of veterans from scene stalwarts 4 Minute Warning and the Riff Raffs, the quartet plays songs that are easily digestible pop punk; antecedents include the Ramones, the Descendants, and Operation Ivy. The production is clean and concise, and the band’s 4/4 blitzkrieg attack is tempered by just a hint of ska on tracks like “Violet Girl” and “Rimshot.” “Model American” rails against apathy and injects a dose of political sensibility amid songs that otherwise focus on dissolute youth and personal freedom, while “Dagobah” references the home of the Star Wars character Yoda. Released on Cacophone Records, home of area mainstays such as the Erotics, Blasé DeBris, and Trauma School Dropouts, Delayed Gratification delivers the type of caffeinated, melodic punk that has long been a Capital Region hallmark.
This article appears in June 2025.
