First Impressions is a collection of whiz-bang reviews of singles, 7″s, and shorter EPs, which are given a review after a single listen. This is a great way for TGEFM to showcase some of the releases which wouldn't get a full review on their own.
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Pink Snot – “Tomorrow's Never Promised”
Self-released, 6 Feb 2022
Pink Snot's “Tomorrow's Never Promised” opens with a pulsing bass-driven vibe before popping into a quick-tempo anchored by a cascading guitar chord progression and melodic bass runs that are greatly catchy. The vocals sound good, nothing unexpected, but well fitting of the song. And during the bridges, there's a fantastically simple guitar lead that has wormed its way into my brain just enough to be humming along after the song called it quits. I like this one a-okay.
Review by RYAN
NANANA – “M'électrocuter”
Self-released, 5 Feb 2022
“M'électrocuter” is an electric punk buzzer. The song has a sorta lo-fi chainsaw distorto-edge as the band bangs out some rhythmic stop-and-go hooks and some otherworldly sounds ping around the fuzzed-out maelstrom that holds the shit together (both theramin and Moog MG-1 are listed as instruments on the song). Admittedly, I don't know what they're going on about (my high school French classes haven't stood the test of time) and the vocals themselves are not the real show for me here, but the song is weirdly scuzzy enough.
Review by RYAN
Kepi Ghoulie – “Winning Combination”
Eccentric Pop / Stardumb Records, 10 Feb 2022
I'm a sucker for Kepi's voice. “Winning Combination”, from his upcoming 2-song 7-inch, is a lovely track. It's got a bit of a twang to it and weirdly reminds me of a Matthew Sweet song circa Altered Beast. It's a bit upbeat, but certainly not a pop punk number. Beyond the sweet sentiment and Kepi's always gold vocals, my favorite part of the song are the frequent turns with a creamy, fuzzed-out lead guitar. I'll admit that I prefer the pop punk sound, but I can truly appreciate this one, too.
Review by RYAN
Dave Strong – “It's Alright / She's The One”
Laptop Punk Records, 12 Feb 2022
Dave Strong's original song on this 2-songer, “It's Alright”, revs up and goes with a lot of buzz and bang. A quick tempo and some hooky guitars riffs go a long way. This number seems to split the difference between his more straight Ramones-loving stuff and his rockabilly side. The guitar leads are fantastic. The second song is a cover of a personal Ramones favorite, “She's The One”. Strong plays this one pretty straight and knocks it outta the park. Keeping his almost twangy vocals in tact but driving away like the Ramones, I like this one a bunch.
Favorite song: “She's The One”
Review by RYAN
ryan is a reviewer and news editor for TGEFM. He's very secretive, he might be an alien.