Thousand Islands Records – May 1, 2020
Cambridge skate punk that takes you back.
Cambridge skate punks Block Parent and Frank Dux teamed up to release the Grand River Transplit on May 1st of this year. Block Parent's EP “Take Off Your Pants and Jack Off” is the A side, and Frank Dux's “Concessions” takes the B. The eight songs clock in at just over twenty minutes total, and it's down and dirty from the start.
Block Parent's opening track “Grade8.Angelfire.Tripod/Geocities.Cjb.Net” sets the tone for their half of the split. Up tempo drums play under the equally rapid guitar and bass work. What truly stood out to me was the use of backing vocals for the added emotional emphasis instead of straining the lead vocals. This adds to the already cohesive feel. And this is just the opening track. Two of the three remaining songs cement this feel for the band (more on that third song in a bit). Ultimately, one line from their closer (“A Letter to the Cambridge Times”) stands out “Let's make this year our fuckin' year.” I hope they are right, and this year is able to turn it around.
“Concessions” feels like a near perfect pairing to “Take off Your Pants and Jack Off.” The rapid fire music and vocals delivery on the appropriately named “A 60 Second Bedtime Story,” the dueling (and simultaneously complimentary) vocals of “Wuddup Todd,” and the guitar solo leading out of “1838” all blend just right with their side A counterparts. Frank Dux does an excellent job of getting across the urgency and fun that makes this split enjoyable to listen to. Ultimately, it's the two songs I haven't mentioned that really tie this split together.
Each side has one song that is a bit more nuanced and addresses the unifying theme. Block Parent's “Song Delonge” and Frank Dux's “103 Queen St. West” each veer from the near break neck tempo and focus on the lasting appeal of a genre that is so often written off. “Song Delonge,” while continuing the Blink 182 references, points out that music has a way of reminding us of the past and highlights the desire to write “a song that takes you back.” In a similar manner Frank Dux's “103 Queen St. West” repeats “these four chords make me feel alive.” These two tracks thematically tie the entire EP together. Music has the power to act as a time machine of sorts. Though this is a new release, the eight songs here can take you back and remind you how good it feels to “play it loud and fast.”
Writer and lover of music, horror, and beer.