First Impressions is a collection of whiz-bang 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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Lesser Creatures – “No Turning Back”
Laptop Punk Records, 24 July 2021
Lesser Creatures are one of my favorite new bands out there. I’ve yet to hear a stinker, and “No Turning Back” certainly isn’t one either. Opening with some killer buzzing guitar and busting out with a right-on “uh” and some rattling bass and bashing drums. The vocal hooks sound demented and angsty singing a nihilistic reflection on people destroying the earth, the guitar riffs hit like a sinister siren and the bass carries an infectious melody throughout. It’s another fantastic song.
Review by RYAN
Zebrahead – “Lay Me to Rest”
MFZB Records, 30 July 2021
Once a guilty pleasure for me that I thought of as little more than a punchline to a joke that wasn’t that funny, Zebrahead have been improving exponentially over their past few releases. On the new single, “Lay Me to Rest,” Zebrahead debuts their first new song with third lead singer, Adrian Estrella, following Matty Lewis’s abrupt departure in April. Estrella slides effortlessly into Lewis’s spot and adds a little bit more of an emo style in his vocals than Lewis had, making for a surprisingly perfect compliment to Tabatabaee’s rap vocals. Released only three months after Lewis’s departure, the turnaround time on this single just makes the song even more impressive.
Review by Julie River
Grim Deeds – “Minimalist”
Self-released, 25 July 2021
Right away, Grim Deeds hits me over the head with the “I’m a mina-mina-mina-mina-minimalist” hook and then the song blows through a tale of a sort of nihilistic awareness, bolstered by some awesome utilitarian guitar and anchored by raging bass and pummeling drums. And the chorus keeps coming back to the lead-in vocal hook, driving it home and making it memorable after only one once-through. If you like Deeds stuff, I’m pretty sure you’ll like this, too.
Review by RYAN
Andrew W.K. – “Everybody Sins”
Napalm Records, 14 July 2021
The newest single from Andrew W.K.’s upcoming album caught me off-guard. The metal party maestro slowly stomps and grooves with a deliciously devilish guitar riff that’s amongst the heaviest I’ve heard from him. And the chorus slathers on some of the cheesy synths and some twisted choral vocals. Really, the song ends up reminding a bunch of some sort of late-80s metal song. It’s not a maximalist pop explosion but instead a sort of maximalist dark metal sludge, and it’s pretty okay in its own way.
Review by RYAN
Dave Strong – “Little Girl/I Would”
Laptop Punk Records, 19 July 2021
I don’t know anything of this Dave Strong fella, but he comes out swinging on this 2-song single. Leadoff “Little Girl” is a buzzy attitude romp with lots of Ramones love and catchiness and a nice lead guitar show. I’m pretty smitten with this one. “I Would” is a little more mid-tempo. It’s playing with an endearing melody and some subtle hooks and a wonderfully fun “Twist and Shout” homage. I’m gonna be coming back to this one.
Review by RYAN
