First Impressions are whiz-bang reviews of singles, 7″s, EPs, and LPs which are given a review after a single listen. This is a great way for TGEFM to showcase some of the releases which may not get a full review on their own.
Self-released, 03 Nov 2022
I already wrote up the lead single “Bench Girl” from this album and mentioned the Ramones and Blink (and I maybe should’ve thrown in Tightwire and Teenage Bottlerocket) as reference points. It’s a really good song that I find myself really enjoying. Now the EP that the song comes from, Buzz Pop, has arrived, and thankfully it’s as good as the lead off.
Beyond the catchy “Bench Girl”, the other 4 songs on Buzz Pop absolutely slay one after another. “Back Patch” is more aggressive than “Bench Girl”, with a destructo-rampage quality to it, some nice “whoa-oh’s”, and a couple of gang vocal shouts. “Am I (Pure) Evil” is a closer sibling to “Bench Girl”, again loaded with energy, harmonies, and crazy-good hooks that are gonna have me singing along real quick-like. Then, “Lick The Blade” veers back towards “Back Patch” with a heavier feel, though the melody, backing vocals, and phrasing during the chorus hit with a bit more catch than the pure aggressive punk rock of the earlier number. Closer “Down Again” goes right back to the more pop-centric focus of the first and third songs. It opens with a touch of lead guitar and again has great vocal hooks and harmonies. I’m not gonna argue with a song on here. They all work, and the back-and-forth keeps the record interesting and offers a bit of dynamics. This is a great release and I’m excited to see where they go next.
- Favorite Song: “Down Again”
- Purchase/Pre-Order/Pre-Save: Apple Music / Spotify / Bandcamp
Have an album or release you want reviewed? Send it to us HERE.
ryan is a reviewer and news editor for TGEFM. He’s very secretive, he might be an alien.
