Friday Freebie: Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys - BRICK THROUGH A LIMOUSINE

One of the things that gets me through the month of February is that knowing when it ends, we'll be getting a new album from Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys. Boston's favorite steamcrunk band has been taking part in the RPM Challenge (which challenges artists to write and record a full album during the month of February) for years now. While Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys typically use this challenge to experiment (2020's edition, THE CUTTING HORSE, had a distinct country feel), this year's is more of a traditional Army of Toys release.

That's not to say that BRICK THROUGH A LIMOUSINE doesn't see the band experiment. The album starts off with "GIMME A CURSE," which is more of a piano focused shanty. The title track is a hard rocker that is going to easily become a live staple in the near future. "IMA BANNED BOOK" is a kind of almost industrial meets folk experiment that works amazingly well. It simmers with barely restrained rage and is oddly lovely and charming. Two of my personal favorites, "Money Bags" and "Romantic We're Dead," are back to back and couldn't be more different. The former is pure chaos, and the latter is more like a jaunty musical number.

As you can probably tell from song titles such as "BRICK THROUGH A LIMOUSINE," "STRIKE HARD," and "KISS ON THE RIOT," BRICK THROUGH A LIMOUSINE is a protest album, and an angry one. However, it never devolves fully into its anger or wallows in sadness. Instead its rather uplifting. This is protest through love and community, and that's something we all need these days.

You can listen to "BRICK THROUGH A LIMOUSINE" below. The album is available through Bandcamp for the "name your price" option. If you choose free, be sure to give Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys a follow on Facebook and Instagram.