EXO The Safety Primer Justice
The Safety Primer Justice, up-and-coming EXO’s sophomore album, executes a perfect mix of melody and raw, unfiltered rock. Although EXO has its quiet moments, much of their sound is ripping guitars, bombastic drums, and a half-crazed vocalist. True to EXO’s D.I.Y. tendencies, the album was recorded in a new basement studio built by the band and dubbed “Binge.” The whole recording process, including the construction of “Binge,” lasted from the spring of 2001 to the release date, September 23.
“Liberated” kicks the record off by setting the quick and hard pace repeated through the majority of the album. With lyrics like “Made of ten second studies/from trips to the local grind over latte/stay about a mile from my face/or I might be forced to lie to appease you/Helpless, faithless/you won’t learn from anyone/but you feel so very alive,” this is a challenge to those who are arrogant and haughty. Scott Tallarida (lead vocals/guitar) writes on the band’s website that this song is a response to those who have taken offense to his lyrics in the past but don’t bother to analyze them.
Cranking the album up a notch is “System Undone.” This song is representative of EXO as a whole, with its overall crazy beats and strange (but great) chord progressions. The lyrics tell the story of a man that, throughout his life, sees himself as a king of his domain, but suddenly realizes it could all just be in his head and he’s wasted his time.
The jumpy song “God Save the Milky Way” follows. This is the most provocative song on the album; the lyrics can be taken many different ways. The first stanza reads: “God made the junkies/and God made molesters/and God made the mothers of genocide’s commanders ... God save the milky way for us/God save the milky way/we’d hate it any other way.” Tallarida explains in liner notes on the website that the song doesn’t ask God to save the world from annihilation, but rather “... please, God, leave the complexity, leave this lesson-ridden place just the way it is with all its irony and confusion in place.”
“A Day Like Today” tones the album down a bit, with a slower, gloomy feel. The lyrics pretty much explain the song by themselves, discussing depressed people who are dependant on anti-depressants.
“Hey Mr. Everything” is among the strongest songs on the album. It has a lurking verse, which in time evolves into an out-of-control bridge and chorus. The song comments upon people who use smugness to cover up their true insecurities. The following track, “She Said!,” recharges the album with erratic guitars and vocals. Interestingly, the lyrics are mixed up grammatically: “Open for business she was/mission destruction she had/deer in the headlights I was/Looked for the exits I had/She said, ‘You’re the best I’ve ever had.’” This is the album’s most noteworthy track because of its buildup and overall rambunctious ending.
The Safety Primer Justice reflects the craziness in life with speedy, harsh riffs alternating with contrasting, soothing, low moments. This is also complemented by the largely autobiographical lyrics and the album art, which is illustrated to be an instruction manual — a manual, perhaps, for life.