Papa Roach
Who Do You Trust? – Eleven Seven Music
Jacoby Shaddix isn’t in your head. He’s in your soul. Stirring it. Rousing It. Forcing a reaction. Soothing. Accepting. We’re dealing with real life in all its dirty, gruesome glory here. ‘Who Do You Trust?’ is urgency. It’s purging. It’s an absolutely massive record. It’s everything you want Papa Roach’s tenth studio album to be. ‘Renegade Music’ and the title track itself are firelighters. ‘I Suffer Well’ a one minute plus punk screamer. Shaddix’s touching patience in mainstream-friendly ‘Come Around’ is both heart-warming and breaking. Brutally honest ‘Not The Only One’ jaunts along happily before baring the teeth of a monster hard rock banger. This track is beyond emotive. It’s life-saving. ‘Elevate’ is classic Papa Roach modernised with ace production and heavy, sassy beats. The soaring tune is film soundtrack/advertising campaign ready. The lyrics shift lacerating to lifting. This band is relevant in the big wide world as well as necessary to those trying to seek solace from it. For all its raw power and anger, ‘Who Do You Trust?’ is measured and mature. It’s not kicking out against whatever you’ve got. It’s supporting those with demons, past, present and future. It’s encouraging dialogue. Almost two decades since the release of ‘Last Resort’ Papa Roach still resonate. If ‘Who Do You Trust?’ is what they continue to be capable of, they’re just gonna keep coming back. And back. And back. Faith in these boys has never been, nor will it ever be, misplaced.
Review by Jo Wright