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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The Chats – “Struck By Lightning”
Self-released, 10 Mar 2022
Do you wanna hear some raucous garage punk? This might do the trick. My contrarian self has mostly missed out on The Chats ride, but “Struck By Lightning” has me thinking I’ve made a big mistake. The song is rambunctious and the gloriously shouted vocals are all punk energy. The stop-and-go hooks are all the way in my brain now and the adorable “shoo-wop” backing vocals hit right. This one’s aces.
Review by RYAN
Pink Snot – “Petty Hate Machine”
Self-released, 8 Mar 2022
For starters, I really like the melodic guitars that open “Petty Hate Machine”. Once the song gets going at an upbeat pace, the “hey, hey” backing vocals provide a pretty decent hook and the lead guitar around the 1-minute mark is really cool. The song drives nicely and the vocal layers make for a “we’re all in this together” sorta vibe. The slow-down near the end isn’t my favorite thing in the world, but it’s not off-putting either. It’s another solid entry from the band.
Review by RYAN
Killer Crush – “Moving On”
Self-released, 12 Mar 2022
Killer Crush, from what I’ve heard, are just really good songwriters. There’s nothing to hide behind, no sly tricks, just thoughtful lyrics, quality musicianship, and lots of great power pop hooks. “Moving On” checks all those same boxes. What starts out pretty mellow and insular opens wide when the full band sound kicks in. The melody and vocal harmonies are wonderful and sweet to the ear and I find myself humming the “you moved on” melody well after the song finished.
Review by RYAN
No Matter – “It’s Boring”
Brassneck Records, 17 Mar 2022
Well TGEFM’s Jeff really likes No Matter, but I’ve been sleeping on them, apparently. “It’s Boring” is fantastic pop punk. The melodic vocals and the “it’s ugly inside out” lines are fantastic and I positively love the lead guitars that pop up. And I love that No Matter is no-nonsense. The drums just bang ahead and the song doesn’t let up. It’s all good energy. This banger is pop punk done right.
Review by RYAN
84 Tigers – “Kingdom of One”
Self-released, 11 Mar 2022
“Kingdom of One” is the first from 84 Tigers (which features members of Small Brown Bike and The Swellers). It’s anchored by a great melodic bass line and good off-kilter drums. The guitars chime during the verse before raging heavily on the choruses. The full-throated singing is melodic on the verses and cathartic on the choruses and the back-and-forth gives a sorta quiet-loud dynamic that works okay. This one is pretty alright, reminding me of something I might listen to between Quicksand and Burning Airlines listens.
Review by RYAN
ryan is a reviewer and news editor for TGEFM. He’s very secretive, he might be an alien.
