Sell The Heart Records – 27 May 2022
The band named after Joey only has one arm…
Nestled somewhere between old Vagrant and Lookout Records acts, this three piece band from the Bay Area seems to draw inspiration from the past while creating something uniquely contemporary. It’s the punk you’ve come to grow and love with pop sensibilities from the perspective of a new generation. I can’t help but think that if this record was released a couple decades ago they’d be touring with Mest or New Found Gory.
Starting things off with an introduction that made me feel like I was listening to an acoustic version of “Mutt” is “Stalemate” You only get one chance to make a first impression and Blink 182 vibes ain’t a bad way to begin even if it was only fleeting moment. Initially it’s just an acoustic guitar and an intricately played bass line but builds into something much bigger. “It’s all down hill from here…” Moving on, “Homesick” leads with octaves and arpeggiated picking into a mid-tempo rock groove, some intermittent chugging, and a throwback breakdown with hints of 90’s alt nu metal. Each of these elements comes and goes almost interchangeably before resolving to the chorus once again. Continuing with the arpeggiated picking style, somewhat of a constant across many of the eleven tracks on this offering, the clean and jangly guitar riff of “Mirrors” is juxtaposed alongside power chords and an overdriven bass accompanied by palm mutes and distorted power chords before dissipating into a little… ska? Indeed! I’m drawing similarities to Call Me Malcom but maybe it’s more like PUP added a segment of upstrokes into the songwriting process.
The first single, “Numbstruck,” speeds things up a bit with an obvious Allister influence. The rhythmic dichotomy between bass and drums really drives things forward and is complimented by simplistic and melodic guitar work. “I miss the old bed in my own house that I grew up in” is lamented as they reminisce of the past. Musically “Serotonin” has me hearing Get Married but vocally I’m hearing Mike Herrera with a snotty nose. The backing vocals and high harmonies really stand out giving the simple melody more depth and contrast and flows well into “Rot” with it’s subtle intro composed of a softly strummed guitar drenched in reverb which lies in contrast to the speed and intensity of the song as a whole and reminds me of early Tooth and Nail bands like Slick Shoes. Double time drum patterns, gravelly high gain guitars and even a solid solo. I’m a sucker for speed and this one might be the standout in my humble opinion, certainly appropriate for a skate punk sesh.
Any punk band worth their salt these days usually has something to say about the establishment and a song that showcases raising the proverbial middle finger is all but a given and “Lost Dog Pt. 1” is their way of saying damn the man and it’s done so with more of a 90’s alternative sound a la LIT?? Beginning with a heavily distorted bass tone and simple guitar vibrato, I’m picturing a choreographed pogo as the song reaches it’s peak before coming to an abrupt end leading into it’s counterpart, “Lost Dog Pt. 2” I gotta say, for a band from the east bay, I’m honestly surprised I didn’t hear it sooner but alas, here’s a little Green Day albeit the newer version as opposed to the iconic earlier iteration. The lyrics in the resolve of the chorus are quite clever and I’ve grown to appreciate the lyrical wordplay scattered across the band’s debut full length. It’s as if they started writing one song that went in two entirely different directions and ended up as two entirely different songs while maintaining some similarities. I applaud this approach.
Continuing their habit of easing into the songs in the intro with “Peace In Yesterday” I also begin to notice there always seems to be a softness in the background, whether it’s acoustic or isolated instrumentation, even in the most intense moments on the record. At many points on this listening journey I couldn’t help but draw a resemblance to The Braces, a band that, in opinion, is defined by the constant dynamic changes woven into their songs. Strong PUP vibes again as well. In culmination with “Getting Late,” it seems like they took all their signature sounds and rolled them into a finale of sorts as if the dumped their bag of tricks out onto the table and arranged them into a collaborative collage. Chaotically coherent, the chorus has hints of the songwriting style of Sincere Engineer but the bulk of it has similarities somewhere between Strung Out and Roswell Kid. Quite an expanse, I know.
There’s a subtle surfy structure stitched into the seams through the entirety of the album. There’s a considerable contrast between clean and dirty just as there is between old and new. The vocal delivery is nasally but in a familiar kind of way, the harmonies are heavenly, there are layers upon layers of guitar sounds, a solid switching of styles with regard to the low end as well as with the playful and varied percussive techniques which all come together to create something fresh yet still feels familiar. It’s as if they took the narrative of their inner struggles and wove them into all the best parts of the 90’s reinvented. Are they The Boys Of Summer? You decide…
Jerred Lazar is a make believe musician and wannabe writer attempting to survive in Washington DC
