Effigy - "We Gave It A Try"
Independent release

Finally, punk rock... I love punk, and We Gave It A Try is a wonderful addtion to the local punk scene. Put it next to your old Bubble Boys CD, Main Street Saints 7-inches, and Mortal Micronotz albums, kids. Yep, this is one album worth looking for.

Filled with loud guitars and drums, We Gave It A Try is a great effort from these Topeka high-schoolers. This is a very diverse album, at least in song subjects if not sound. “Going Postal” is incredibly un-PC, as it’s basically a song about taking a gun to school and blowing away all the people who’ve messed with you. In the wake of the Littleton shootings, it's even more taboo. Funny though, if you’re into sick and twisted humor (as I am). “Chris F.” is a tribute to the late, great Chris Farley. Amazingly, it’s a pretty touching song.

The album’s primary fault lies in the fact that while the album is fun and enjoyable, all the songs tend to run together. There’s not a whole lot of tempo changes - for the most part, the songs just start out loud and barrel through to the end. There are a few exceptions, like the nifty bass intro to “Ripoff”, which sounds really great, for instance.

The other knock I have against this album is “Hey K.W.S.” The song title, sans acronym, is “Hey Kids We Suck.” I’m just not that big of a fan of the whole self-deprecation thing. Just doesn’t work for me really. It stands to reason that if you went to the trouble of getting a CD out and have any following at all (which they do), then some people must think you’re pretty decent. Sarcasm is one thing... but I can blatently say that these kids don't suck.

Other than those two issues, We Gave It A Try is a very solid premier effort that promises great things in the future from this three-piece.