Trouble Bound do not need introductions, and they definitely do not need reinvention. With “Set the Record Straight,” the New York punks come back doing exactly what they have done for more than 25 years. Fast, direct, and grounded in the kind of street-level punk that does not age, it just hardens. Released via Work Horse Records, this single sounds like a band that never stepped away, even if time kept moving.
The song hits with that familiar Trouble Bound drive. Guitars are sharp and unpolished, the rhythm section stays locked and relentless, and the vocals come in with that worn-in authority that only comes from years of doing this for real. There is no studio shine here, no modern gloss, no attempt to smooth the edges. It sounds like a band playing in a room, not posing for a playlist.
“Set the Record Straight” feels like a reaction, not a concept. It has that energy of someone finally saying what they should have said a long time ago. Direct, slightly pissed, and not interested in explaining itself. The lyrics land with that classic NY punk bluntness. No poetry, no dressing it up. Just the point, delivered.
What makes this track work is its confidence. Trouble Bound are not trying to prove they still belong. They know they do. There is no chasing trends, no modern hardcore cosplay, no nostalgia bait. This is just a band that has been around long enough to trust their own voice and let it cut.
You can hear the years in the delivery, but not in a tired way. In a focused way. The kind of focus that comes from knowing who you are and not questioning it anymore. That is the difference between legacy bands and bands that just stuck around. Trouble Bound are the first kind.
“Set the Record Straight” is not here to impress new listeners. It is here to speak to the ones who get it. Fast, honest, and unapologetic New York punk from a band that earned its place a long time ago and never gave it up.
