Subway Rat, the moniker of David Polanco, is out with his sophomore record, “Captain of the Football Team.” The record features 10 stellar tracks that fuse poetic lyricism with the genres of pop, pop-punk, rock, and hip hop. “Captain of the Football Team” was a highly anticipated record, after the Queens, New York artist surpassed 1 million streams on his debut record “Stand Clear of the Closing Doors.” Rock the Pigeon is proud to break down the record track by rack.
Pop-punk listeners will be immediately drawn in by the first guitar riff that starts off the record. “Outta Town” is an energetic breakup anthem with catchy guitar riffs and an electronic-style drum beat. “I took your love for granted and ran you out of town.” This song is filled with catchy riffs. This song sets up what the rest of the record will sound like. You can expect to hear the story of a man who is left heartbroken after an on and off relationship that started at Bayside High School.
“I wanted to push myself with my second album, giving listeners a wider look into the way I tell stories and use my voice, all while transporting people to the fun energy of my favorite mid-2000’s, 90s and 80s music. It’s a 30-minute guitar and bass-driven escape into the realness and rawness of being in and out of love.” – Subway Rat
We hear the into and out of love story continue on the next track, “Hope!” The deep vocal contrasts with the high range guitar riffs, captivating the audience further. This song pulls widely from 90s pop rock. The chorus features a simple sing-along section, while the verses paint the story of Subway Rat’s past relationship. The overall theme of the song is “I hope you don’t forget me.” Clearly, Subway Rat won’t forget her.
The next song, “Crazy” starts off with swirling rhythm guitars and a melodic lead riff. Synths and electronic drums add a layer of modernism to the track and also a layer of lofi bedroom pop. Although this is a post-breakup song, the music has an uplifting feel to it, sparking a sense of energy in the listener. The lyrics talk about “turning around,” going back in time, and starting over. It seems to be a song about second chances, where the songwriter pours out his heart and soul, sings his love grandly, sharing how much she means to him and how it has changed him as a person.
Next, we are transported to Queens, Long Island, New York, where David Polanco of Subway Rat is based. This song features an upstroke clean guitar, diverting from the previous songs’ guitar riffs. The songwriter reminisces about his hopes and dreams with his ex-lover, singing about visions of their kids “growing up New York City.” He sings about “$1 slices” of pizza (perhaps from 2 Bros. Pizza) and the “Met game” being on, both major hallmarks of New York City, wishing that these could be things he shares with his wife and children. He sings “We could have had…” as he rattles off his long list, pulling the listener closer to the heartbreak and showing just how enormous this loss is to him.
Electric guitars kick off “Moon.” The drums and bass follow soon after, with a melodic electric guitar riff that leans into the pop-punk genre. This song sounds much like a rock ballad, where Subway Rat sings about the moon and the stars, his lost love, and the longing to get back together or at least spend some time together. It sounds like he is asking for another chance throughout this song as well.
Another hallmark of New York life are Corner Café’s. Subway Rat captures them perfectly on his song “Corner Café.” While singing off some items from a brunch, he reminisces about “the good old days,” of going on dates to the corner café, at a “table for two.” The guitar riffs greatly contrast the vocals, lifting the song into another dimension.
“Nostalgia” is the song where Subway Rat mentions the album title as he explains the origin of his love story. “You were the homecoming queen, I was the captain of the football team…We had to hide it from your mom and dad.” Now we have another bit of information. This love is so important to him because this way his first love. We hear the massive amount of emotion coming through every single song, proving his grand love.
We hear a genre switch on “Summertime” which gives the record a breath of fresh air. The guitar style changes for both the rhythm and lead, pulling inspiration from the style of The Strokes. Impressive guitar riffs are a hallmark of this track. The vocal delivery changes dramatically, we hear a faster pace, a style that leans a bit more punk rock, with lyrics that provide imagery to the artist summer of love.
The pace breaks down for “Lost Without U.” This ballad features a very catchy palm-muted guitar riff. The production is absolutely incredible, the guitar goes in and out of the main focus. The vocals do the same while the singer gives another admission of his longing for love. Sometimes singing, sometimes speaking, this song brings shows another side of heartbreak on the record. Not only does he miss her, but he feels completely lost without her.
One of the last songs I wrote and recorded was Modern Lovers, which I think is also one of my personal favorites. I was trying to see if I could write a more modern sounding mainstream kind of song, with more a traditional verse, pre chorus, chorus, second verse, etc. It came out quite nice and really ends the album on a high note in my opinion, with a lot of singalong fun and energy about being in love in the 2020’s. – Subway Rat
“Modern Lovers” is Subway Rat’s personal favorite song on the record. A quicker pacing, a major key, and fast-paced lyrics make this song an anthem and a positive note to end the record on. This was a great end to an incredible record! Listen to this highly contagious album on Spotify now. Enjoy Captain of the Football Team by Subway Rat:
Written by Ryan Cassata
The post Subway Rat Shares the Intimate Story of a Love Lost on “Captain of the Football Team” appeared first on ROCK THE PIGEON.