Taken from his album, The Threshing Floor, which releases in October, “I’m Ready” is filled with punkish spirit. It’s an anthemic statement of purpose, in fact. “I’m ready for a good time, baby,” Anders sings out, like a guy ready to party. It is, in its essence, nothing short of a party song.
Although it’s a ‘cleaner’ recording than what the Ramones used to consistently create, one could easily imagine those four New Yorkers counting off ‘1, 2, 3, 4’ and charging out with this song. It’s both simple and uncluttered. It’s little more than guitar, bass, drums, and Anders’ voice. The first thing you notice is that guitar riff. It’s a chunky, loud, and fast bit of playing.
This is also a short song, which lasts fewer than three minutes in length. It’s one of those tracks where Anders gets in, makes his statement, and gets out without a whole lot of needless dialogue. You have to appreciate his brevity. His lyrics are not poetic and wordy. He gets right to the point, without delay.
Anders may play with a punk rock attitude, but his voice is clear and pure, without any gruffness. His voice sounds as though it could also be really pretty, if he wanted to go that way. However, this is decidedly a rock and roll piece of music, which doesn’t at all call for applying singing sweetness.
Lyrically, it speaks of the anticipation of a fun night. Most likely an evening of romance. His insistency makes him sound like he’d be just as fine with a morning or afternoon of love. The night can just seem so far away at times, particularly when you like another person and there’s nothing you’d rather do than be with them. Close to them. This is the attitude Anders puts off with his song.
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While romance is the stated purpose of the song, the pace of it also suggests that he wants to go out and do something with this other person. One doesn’t get all that hyped up to go out for a quiet dinner. At least not usually. Maybe he wants to go out for a walk downtown. With all his pent-up energy, he’s going to need to release it all somehow. If he doesn’t, he may just come off as a nervous wreck. All that energy, with no way to expend it, which can’t be good.
The first name that came to mind while listening to this track was Jonathan Richman. Granted, Richman is more of a quiet, sweet-voiced vocalist – even sweeter than Anders. Yet, Richman is also best known for rather simple, sincere lyrical gestures. Like Anders, he loves pretty basic rock & roll. He never complicates things.
The Boy Scout motto is be prepared, and when it comes to love and romance, Kris Anders is ready, willing and able. And prepared. Granted his song isn’t at all complicated. Then again, some of the best rock music is distilled down to its simplest form. It’s intended, much of the time, to move the heart and body, not the mind. Thus, Kris Anders sounds ready as he’ll ever be.
-Dan MacIntosh