City Escape Artist is a Pittsburgh-based punk band that would have become Warped Tour stalwarts had the band existed 20 years ago. If you listened to punk in the early to mid-2000s, their latest album, Discounted Legacy, will make you want to fire up the old PlayStation 2 and play Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2. It is loud, fast, and angry; three qualities that make for a great punk record. On Discounted Legacy, City Escape Artist has mastered writing punk songs, so you don’t mind that the band isn’t breaking new ground.
At only 6 songs, the longest barely over three minutes, Discounted Legacy gets the job done and doesn’t overstay its welcome. Throughout the entire album, City Escape Artist addresses society’s problems and issues in the contemporary punk scene.
The LP starts with “Unknown’s” opening guitar riff, which immediately lets you know you’re in for a melodic punk album. The rest of “Unknown” addresses society’s increasing political polarization. The next song, “Discounted Legacy” wouldn’t seem out of place on a playlist between New Found Glory and The Descendents. “Fatal Flaw” and “The Mortal Machine,” keep the album going and are solid songs, but the standout is “Pipe Dream.”
“Pipe Dream” takes aim at the music industry and unnamed aging punk rockers with values at odds with the general scene. The first person who comes to mind was Michale Graves, who notoriously embraced the Proud Boys. However, the band is happy to let you speculate whether Graves is actually the person they are eviscerating because the song could be directed toward multiple people.
Closing out the Discounted Legacy is “The Tide,” which is reminiscent of Yellowcard’s heavier songs minus the violin.
For those unfamiliar with City Escape Artist, Discounted Legacy is the perfect introduction. The album aligns with the rest of the band’s discography while adding to an already strong catalog.
