SBÄM Records – 03 Sep 2021
Fun band, fun record, fun songs
When Not On Tour released Growing Pains in 2019, it ended up being one of my favourite releases of the year. Seventeen super fast songs all clocking around 90 seconds with memorable choruses, great melodies and surprising twists and turns. It turned out the band even recorded more songs for that record and three of those songs are now being released on a 7-inch.
Even though I loved Growing Pains, I did feel it had two or three songs too many. Considering even with too many there were still some left off was therefore a wise decision, and these songs definitely have an outtakey-feel. However, they are still fun songs I will include in my daily playlist.
Starting with “Desperation Street,” the band picks up where Growing Pains left. Weird jumpy intro, into the familiar voice of Sima with the squeeling guitar lines we also heard in songs like “Daddy” on Growing Pains. “GMSN” is a fun mid-tempo song. It took me three listens to realize that the lyrics contain only the names of the bandmembers starting with “Gutzy Gutzy Gutzy Gutzy” and than moving on to the rest. Too bad for bassplayer Nir, whose name doenst have to two syllables like the rest and therefore has the less catchy verse :). This song might be really cool live.
The record ends with “What Future” which is favourite of these three. A bit darker song which could have ended up on Growing Pains without a problem and I might have traded in for one of Growing Pains lesser tracks.
I think it's clear what I am trying to say here. If you like Not On Tour and their record Growing Pains, you will love this. It's a fun record and I will pick up a copy when I hopefully see the band live some day.
Quirijn's primary focus for TGEFM is on album reviews and band interviews. When he's not writing for the site, he can be found mixing sound at Fiction Studio, mixing up beats for as one part of hip-hop duo Breekpunt, or playing guitar for punk quartet Ink Bomb.