Hailing from the shores of Long Island, New York, Not So Broken have been jamming away at the coalface of pop-punk since 2005. Their recent EP It Is What It Is shows that those 8 years haven’t been in vain.
The tingling guitar intro to opener ‘CHALLENGE!!!!# emanates the energy which this 5-piece so effortlessly exudes and gives an indication of the sort of raucous, raw joy they have for the music they play. The heavier verses laced with expert drumming underlie a smattering of lyrics poised to tug at teenage heartstrings. The disturbingly accurate hammer-ons and pull-offs on ‘Masterpiece’ echo the intro to pop-punk stalwart M&Ms by blink-182, and the jumpy bassline on ‘Don’t Go Bragging to Your Friends About This# carries on this feeling. Tempo changes galore executed to perfection give the impression that this is a properly tight band ready for more. The EP’s lead single, ‘Ocean City’, is the sort of tune you can imagine playing in the background at a beach-hut cafe, or blaring from the speakers of a beat up estate car crossing the desert. (apologies for the cliché on my part, just indulging my old pop-punk fantasies) The video also features an appearance from the terrifying soldier-doll man from the EP’s cover; not for the faint hearted! ‘Reckless Fun’ begins with a slightly sombre piano intro which is swiftly blown away by heavy guitars and Lisa Giosi’s rampant vocals; a fantastic heavy number with spot on basswork from Justin DelGiudice who I must say also sports fantastic facial hair! A cracking build up towards the peak of this song adds to the feeling that these five know what they’re doing and play in a common mindset. Closer ‘We Sell Artwork’ is dusted with sugary-sweet riffs which grasp at the sweet tooth of any reminiscing 20-something-year-old yearning after their youth.
If I had to sum up this EP in two words they would be this: ‘Aye, grand!’ A very pleasant and promising set of songs from a quintet who clearly love what they do.
4 out of 5 high fives!