Am I the Enemy

iTunes Review

With 2009’s Lonely Road, the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus treated the recording studio like a changing room, trying on different musical genres to see what fit best. Their third album finds them wearing the post-hardcore pop of their first album like a pair of broken-in jeans. And though 2011’s Am I the Enemy sounds like rock ‘n’ roll rebellion on the surface, the lyrics flirt with studied biblical themes. Check out the fire and brimstone spewing single “Reap” which ferociously pounds the pulpit like a futuristic preacher with lip piercings. Conversely, “Salvation” opens the album on more uplifting themes, setting the tone with ascending melodies and a lyrical sense of spiritual triumph. And check out Ronnie Winter’s singing — here he’s exercising restraint while expanding his vocal range — especially on those harmonies. “Dive Too Deep” spotlights the band’s ballad building prowess. Eschewing melodrama for vulnerability and confessional lyrics, it’s the most mature track on the album. “Forever Numb” is the catchiest of the bonus tracks.