“Foreground Music”, the title of Ron Gallo’s 4th LP, and debut for Kill Rock Stars might also be a suitable name for his own genre.

In simplest terms it’s the opposite of background music - unavoidable, urgent, in your face - Gallo’s consistent theme is to confront, disrupt and sometimes even confuse people into a sense of awareness. The intention to steer away from apathy and self-empower by focusing on what we can control and make light of in a world designed to take it away. The guitar is less an instrument and more of a primal noise machine.

This record is a challenge to everything and everyone, including his own self, who is holding back the progress of humanity (especially in America) into a more open, empathetic and collective unit - the words delivered with a punkish tenacity and lining even the heaviest topics with an ever-present sense of humour. It covers the full spectrum of emotion. This music feels like life feels right now. In his eyes, how could it not? Clad in caution tape and construction orange colour scheme, much like his surrounding neighbourhood in Philadelphia where it was written and recorded. Gallo doesn’t see now (or ever) as the time to sit back and chill - this is going to be what we make it.

Over the course of the record traversing between sounds akin to an exploding NYC subway station, oddball dance-punk, noise pop, even the more grave moments would sit well in whatever a modern version of CBGB’s 1975 would be - in 11 songs Gallo shares detailed anecdotes and takes on male entitlement, the age of anxiety, apathy vs. action, gentrification, narcissism, retail therapy, xenophobia, the dread of future generations, right wing extremists in giant pickup trucks, capitalism, climate change and the experience of having a loved-one who is an addict.

If an existential crisis could somehow be fun - it’s this record.

LP Limited Edition Orange Vinyl, Printed Inner Sleeve, Fold Out Poster w/ Lyrics