First Impressions is a whiz-bang collection reviews, primarily of shorter albums (EPs and singles) 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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Review: JD – “Pop Punk Drunks”
Self-released, 6 November 2020
Illinois pop punks JD kick out a few raw and sort of sloppy songs on Pop Punk Drunks. But they've got some good energy and the hooks hit more than they miss. The lead guitar on the bridge of “Sleeping Beauty” sinks in and “Shoes Saga” has a bonkers cool lead guitar during the intro, but my favorite is the jumbled-mess phrasing and weird Weezer guitar tones that're all over “Not Okay”. Most of this is charming and reckless slacker pop punk.
Favorite song: “Not Okay”
Review: Twister – “Ten Years of Failures”
Mom's Basement Records/Let's Goat Records/One Chord Wonder Records, 20 December 2020
Ten Years of Failures is Twister's 2-song celebration of ten years together. The band loves Ramones and you can hear it throughout. Opener “After Me” has a pretty anxious-fast pace that rips. The power chords are solid and the vocal melody (especially on the chorus) is fantastic. But my favorite parts of this song come from the creamy lead guitars. Those leads ransack the mid-tempo “Frozen”, too, and the going out coda is really cool. The song doesn't hit me quite like “After Me”, but I still like it a bunch.
Favorite song: “After Me”
Review: The Thorazines – “The Beat Goes On”
Self-released, 5 February 2021
Australia's The Thorazines wear their Ramones/Screeching Weasel love on their record covers. This is pretty traditional Ramonescore with some decidedly un-Ramones-y guitar leads. But the drums pound and the vocals have some snotty grit to them. My favorite is “Ramona (I Wanna Be The One)”. The vocal/phrasing hooks on this one come through like gangbusters. Special mention of the noticeably aggressive vibe and cool guitar lead on “Preciosa” as well as the covers of Caustic Soda and Weston songs, both which come out pretty good.
Favorite song: “Ramona (I Wanna Be The One)”
Review: Classic Pat – “Songs My Friends Wrote Vol. 1”
Laptop Punk Records, 18 February 2021
Classic Pat is Patrick McVay of The Putz. Songs My Friends Wrote is a cool 4-song collection of cover songs, knocking off a couple of pop punk favorites. All of the songs reek of some sugary pop goodness. Leadoff “Love Song For You” (by Buzzard Buzzard Buffalo) is gorgeous while Horror Section's “Mark” rips with some ragged hi-hat and cool melodic work. Likewise, The Loblaws “Vanessa” is a catchy song with hooky lead guitars and cool bouncy drums and The Outrights “Be My Girl” has great harmonies and more delicious guitar lead. Fun, good singalong stuff.
Favorite song: “Love Song For You”
Review: The Cereal Killers – “Force-Feeding Unhealthy Cereal Knowledge”
Self-released, 15 January 2021
Force-Feeding finds The Cereal Killers on the aggressive side of the pop punk spectrum. The guitars buzz through some heavy riffs that almost sound nicked from a 90's grunge band or something and the vocals have a dark grit to them. But the songs can be endearing and goofy with lots of silly cereal references. My favorite is probably “I Want A Batman Bank”. “Perfect Saturday” is a little lighter in musical vibe and has some cool lead guitar and ends up one of the catchier songs on here. Maybe a cereal-obsessed Lit?
Favorite song: “I Want A Batman Bank”
ryan is a reviewer and news editor for TGEFM. He's very secretive, he might be an alien.
