Self-released, June 21, 2020
FATRACE kicks out a pretty great shortform record.
Bekasi, Indonesia's FATRACE are a band bursting with good-time energy. They've got a bunch of good stuff out going back to 2016, but this new one, Swell Crusher, is four songs of pop punk done just right. I mean, just check out the cool cover art. The music sounds just like that art looks.
Swell Crusher opens with a rush. “Already Won” bounces and pops with a buoyant pep and infectious vocals that are endearing and hook-laden. The double-popped snare, backing vocals and melody on the chorus gets me positively giddy. It's simple, it's nothing new, and it's great. “Monday Boyfriend” follows suit with one of my favorite melodies of the year. As guitars buzz by like a bee near your ear, breezy lead vocals and timely backing vocals wiggle into your brain and set up shop, refusing to leave. Another choice cut. In fact, these two songs are two of my favorite things in this crummy year.
And after the carefree fun of the first two speedy tracks, they slow down to do the mid-tempo pop “Romansa Teman Lama” (Romance of Old Friends, according to my slightly trusted internet translator), singing in their native Indonesian. But that doesn't suck the momentum away. The song buzzes and the melodies and backing vocals charm with great melodies and some of my favorite surfy “ooh-wah-ooh”-style backing vocals of the year. And, with even more courage, they close the Swell Crusher EP with a poppy surf punk instrumental. And they pretty much pull that off, too.
Swell Crusher has my vote. FATRACE keeps things quick and catchy and right, never overreaching and never trying to go too clever. They know how to write some hooks, they know how to charm, and they know how to exude pure fun. I'm going to be listening to this a lot this summer.
You might like this if:
- You're into pop punk played with a bonkers infectious fervor
You might not if:
- You don't like bouncy pop punk and the sound of people having a good time
ryan is a reviewer and news editor for TGEFM. He's very secretive, he might be an alien.