What kind of talent do you have to have the luxury to write songs this good and then put them on the shelf? But it's not just about talent — it's also about work ethic. Ryan Allen writes a lot of songs. And when you're that prolific, you're bound to have some gems that you can save for a rainy day (or a week off from work). He intended this to be an "upbeat, no-frills, punch-you-in-the-face rock record," and that's precisely what it is. His last album, Livin’ On The Prayer On The Edge, was all over the place by design. One Week Off is a little more focused on that power pop by way of '90s indie rock with a touch melodic punk style that is Allen's forte. If you enjoyed his 2016 album Basement Punk, you're gonna be into this one as well. Allen played everything on this record and produced it at home on a Digital Audio Workstation. Then he had Paul Miner work his mixing and mastering magic and make it sound like a million bucks. It's crazy to think that songs like "Bloody Gums" and "Simple Pleasures" went unrecorded and unreleased for so long. If "Sick of Content," "Do It All Again," and "When Is Everybody Gonna Step?" aren't anthems for these times, I don't know what is.
When I hear about an artist putting out two albums in a year, that means one of two things to me. Either you're contracted to a soulless major label in the late '70s, or you're making music for the sheer love of it. In the case of One Week Off, we know which one it is. Be sure not to miss Allen's recent contribution to the Is It Power Pop?! series over at Remember the Lightning!
