Restorations tackles overdevelopment and displacement on “The Red Door”

Restorations | photo by Emily Dubin | courtesy of the artist

Last month, we shared the news that long-running and beloved Philly punk rockers Restorations will be releasing a new record, called LP5000, in September, and today we can finally hear the first tune from the forthcoming album. “The Red Door,” a charged anthem full of all the energy we’d expect from Restorations, and you can hear it below.

The song tackles what it’s like to watch a city’s landscape rapidly change, to see familiarity disappear and not be able to do anything about it. It’s equal parts a personal reaction to change and a social critique of the displacement that comes with new development, as twinges of helplessness — “”What remains? Every corner, a new name” — mix with cries for change — “All I want is to see you comfortable, in your own skin, in your own way.”

Frontman Jon Loudon tells NPR:

“Philadelphia (and perhaps your town, too?) is rapidly changing. I wonder about where people go when they can’t afford to live in these new neighborhoods anymore. The red doors on all the new buildings feels like some kind of warning sign.”

Listen to “The Red Door” here via NPR. LP5000 is out September 28 via Tiny Engines.

 

Tour dates
6/27: Boston, MA @ Royale
6/28: Providence, RI @ Askew
6/29: New York, NY @ Rocks Off
6/30: Jersey City, NJ @ Monty Hall