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.
Commando / Mom's Basement Records, 17 Feb 2023
Proton Packs are one of my favorites of the current terrific crop of punk and pop punk bands, blending lots of melodic Ramones-style music with Lillingtons-esque sci-fi lyrics to great effect. Their most recent full-length, 2020's Paradox, is still on heavy rotation around these parts. This new 2-song single, The Concept of Infinity, features 2 songs that will be part of a new full-length coming in 2024, though details are sparse on that front.
Lead song, “The Concept of Infinity”, comes out blistering with a mean guitar and steady drums and bass. I love the little hesitation beat they toss on at the end of the first line of the verse each time and then the “ahh” backing vocals that join on the chorus set it all off real nicely. On that same chorus, the lead vocal melody is something that's gonna stick with me for a while. They even give a few seconds of space to let the bass shine through on a bridge. The second song, “Psychokinesis”, has a really catchy chorus and even the vocal phrasings on the verses have a certain hook to them. I like the chugging guitars that come up during the bridge after the chorus, and same goes for the simple lead guitar that comes in during the latter part of the bridge. This one seems a little more simplistic than “Infinity”, but I think I might like it even more. But who cares, I don't have to rank them, let's just say that both are good. Don't be a dummy, go check this out.
- Favorite Song: “Psychokinesis”
- Song Comes From: Upcoming Album – To Be Announced
- Album Release Date: sometime in 2024
- Purchase/Pre-Order/Pre-Save: Apple Music / Spotify
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ryan is a reviewer and news editor for TGEFM. He's very secretive, he might be an alien.