Unsafe at Any Speed

The band's sophomore album features their signature mix of punk rock aggression with smart, heartfelt lyrics. Beginning with a celebration of all things left of the dial on “College Radio,” the record veers between nostalgia for lost youth ("The Lies that We Believed" and “Unsafe at Any Speed"), lost love ("Another Round" and “Sweet to Sour"), life's trials ("Slow Burn" and “Poor Ahab”) and a celebration of PMA ("Gratitude"). One of The Big Takeover Magazine's top 50 albums of 2021, Unsafe at Any Speed harkens back to best of 70s and 80s alternative music with modern flare and fire.

“The Downstrokes revisit the real ingredients that made '77-81 punk immortal beyond pat hard & fast playing. They reintroduce backbeat (ah!), developed riffing, leads, and melodies, lyrics that avoid sloganeering, and influences older/deeper than other punk records.” - Jack Rabid

— The Big Takeover Magazine