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Album
Us Against The Crown
State Radio →165,774 listeners1,761,176 plays
reggaechillreggae-rockindierock
about this album
Chad "Chetro" Urmston (formerly of the uber-successful indie band Dispatch) is back on the with his new band State Radio and their first full length album. Filled, from beginning to end, with crunching guitars, bumping rhythm, and sweet vocals, 'Us Against The Crown' showcases the band's array of musical talents and influences from reggae all the way to hard rock. Evidence of the love for artists from Bob Marley to Rage Against The Machine can be found throughout the disc. The album is also politically charged with classic 'fight songs' showcasing the beliefs of the songwriter on a wide variety of affairs, including the war in Iraq. 'Camilo' is a song about a soldier who decided to not go back to war after being home on leave (which is based on true story). Some classic State Radio tracks show up on the album, with a new flavor and a fuller sound ('Gunship Politico', 'The Diner Song', and 'Calvado's Chopper'). Horns and reggae flair fill the speakers with bumping beats and funky guitar rhythms on 'Right Me Up' and 'Man In The Hall'. 'Riddle In Londontown' is a standout track, showcasing the songwriter's ability to adapt a song formerly played with his old band and make it new and different with his new one (the song, know just as 'Riddle', was played with Dispatch during the shows surrounding their final performance -- it appears on Dispatch's live album 'All Points Bulletin'). It seems as though Chad has settled into an excellent new place with his new band, pulling from his
why this is interesting
This album merits attention for its genuine fusion of seemingly incompatible influences—reggae's communal spirit alongside hard rock's urgency—woven together without feeling forced. Urmston's songwriting demonstrates how political conviction can energize music rather than weigh it down; the "fight songs" emerge organically from melodic and rhythmic choices rather than didactic messaging. The band's technical competence allows these diverse textures to coexist: reggae grooves anchor rock intensity, while vocal phrasing suggests both introspection and collective resolve. What distinguishes this work is its refusal to choose between accessibility and substance, craft and conviction—qualities increasingly rare in contemporary rock.
tracks
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People to People
State Radio
Mr. Larkin
State Radio
Camilo
State Radio
Right Me Up
State Radio
Black Cab Motorcade
State Radio
Riddle in London Town
State Radio
Man in the Hall
State Radio
Waitress
State Radio
Diner Song
State Radio
Gunship Politico
State Radio
Rushian
State Radio
Calvados Chopper
State Radio
Sybil
State Radio
Indian Moon
State Radio
State I and I
State Radio
Democracy in Kind
State Radio
