Robyn Writes

Review: Little Big League – These Are Good People

Harking back to the US indie scene of the 1990’s, Little Big League demonstrate that there is still plenty of potential for creativity and exploration within their respective genre of raw and consistently melodic indie punk. Little Big League are riddled with quirks, manifesting in the effortless interplay between the two rough-hewn guitars- but their biggest quirk is also their most appealing and fascinating, a secret weapon of sorts that elevates the band exponentially. The focal point of Little Big League is undoubtedly Michelle Zauner’s voice – stocked with idiosyncratic tics and diametrically opposed to convention, her words leap across the aural palette to startling effect. Flitting between saccharine hushed tones and almost violent projections, she freely allows her voice to break and oscillate at will- her enchanting versatility knowing no boundary and ultimately, carrying the potential to polarize the band’s listenership. It is undoubtedly attention grasping, with Zauner’s bluesey and anguished vocal histrionics sounding like Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes fame doing her best Patti Smith impression. For a mannerism that could all too easily eclipse any other aspect of a band’s output, the remaining members of Little Big League are still able to assert themselves against Zauner’s intimidating lung capacity, for the most part avoiding any notion of faceless backing band to her fascinating performance.

In true 90’s fashion, suspended above the rather sublimely orchestrated instrumentation, looms an air of resignation, of defeatism and surrender to oppressing forces that is so common in the psyches of young people whose idealism has been quashed by the brutal and inescapable Western capitalist syndrome. These Are Good People manages to pinpoint the moment of comprehension at the unrealised dreams of adolescence which, sadly, will remain an applicable point of strife for many. Despondent it may be, the gloom is not overwrought, embellished subtly in the minor key arrangements and existing as a lingering periphery that the band bring in to focus in affecting brilliance on tracks such as ‘Settlers’. Elsewhere a foreboding darkness is conjured at the intro to ‘Sportswriting’, looming like a distant wave of depression that is instantly vanished by the arrival of Zauner’s coruscating vocal- cleansing the music any denying darkness an opportunity to take hold.

Not until the closing section of final track ‘Never Have I Walked Away When The Time Was Right’ does the band loosen their well-honed melodic and often spritely fretwork with a thick dose of abrasive distortion that arrives as a slight shock after the lighter, more measured and melodically centred instrumentation.

Little Big League should be more than proud of their debut, a record of unorthodox beauty that despite remaining grounded in the defeatist attitudes and musical practices of their 90’s punk forbearers, contains some thoroughly unique elements: no less Zauner’s much lauded vocal. It’s a genuinely brilliant aural venture encapsulated within an endearingly punk production quality. Despite the lack of outright vitriol, the contempt for social realities is as palpable as any pissed off and downtrodden hardcore band could muster. Instead of a raucous bloody-faced affair, Little Big League subvert the punk penchant for superfluous anger, Zauner’s vocal harbouring an outrage beyond articulation, yet oddly understandable. Coherent in its overall vision and riveting in its execution.

4.5 out of 5 high fives!

Review: The Heights – Drag Race On The Moon

The Heights’ third EP Drag Race On The Moon showcases impressive atmospherics and melodies, while a star is born in Gavin Sutton, a frontman with a pristinely clean, soothing voice, which suit much of the lyrics (dealing with emotions) perfectly. But is this the future of pop-punk? No. At least probably not. The classic rock band setup supports Gavin’s vocals with solid drumming and guitar trying their best to lure listeners in, but they lack any real gritty or edgy quality that rubs up against you and drags you into their lunar drag race.

Opening track ‘Soldier’ has a gradual escalation to the crescendo that is the chorus, yet, like the EP as a whole, it leaves you with the feeling that something fundamental is missing. I can’t help but feel as though it needs to build to an even bigger finish, not just to each repeat of the chorus. For any AFI fans, what I have in mind is something more like ‘This Time Imperfect’, a song which does build up to each rendition of the chorus, but ends with a more powerful finish. On the other end of the scale second track ‘Some Give You Away’ has an upbeat tempo with guitar riffs and a catchy chorus, but it lacks the sort of build-up that made ‘Soldier’ more special.

‘Devil’ appears to be an early fan favourite from the EP, being the most anthemic track with a catchy melody as well as a little guitar solo which gives it an extra dimension, earning it a more dynamic standing than the others. Contrary to perceived wisdom, I would recommend listening to ‘Spinning Webs’ in particular. The track is more slow and powerful than the rest of the EP, bringing a ballad to the front and centre. Explaining the songs inclusion on the EP the band said: “There are not many local bands that have ever included a piano ballad on their releases. There might be a reason why, but I like to think it was a ballsy move on our part, and I’m hoping it pays off.” They’re right, a slow piano ballad is not a common feature of any release claiming to be pop-punk, but forgetting labels and preconceived notions of how a band should sound, there is a lot of heart in this track. Everyone can relate to wishing something had happened differently, wanting to change the past or wondering if things could have gone differently if only you had acted differently. The song opens just with Gavin singing along to a tune on the piano, before shortly after the drums start up with a gentle beat. If you want a song that you can sit down and play or sing along to, look no further.

All things considered, the EP is solid and perhaps I’ve been a little over critical, but it’s only because I believe they are capable of more. None of the songs are bad, but they fail to really hit home and if critical reviews can annoy bands enough to prove the reviewer wrong, let’s hope this works. Watch this space.

2.5 out of 5 high fives!

Ten Hardcore Bands That Do Actually Get It

I posted an article last week about misogyny in hardcore and just the general lack of respect for fellow human beings that’s running rampant throughout the scene at the moment. There’s certainly a lot of that going on. In honesty, my piece refers mostly to the mainstream – the branch of particularly popular hardcore bands that are dominating the magazines and the social networks at the moment. There’s a lot of bands out there that aren’t subscribing to this at all, that are striving for a community again, that are promoting a very healthy attitude at shows and through their music. Loosely based around the hardcore genre, but with a smattering of punk and metalcore, this is just ten of those bands promoting a better future for the scene. There’s a few more mainstream and a few more underground acts here, and these are the people we should be throwing our weight behind.

1) Finish Him!
Our favourite Coventry partycore lot know what’s going down. A Finish Him! show is always a ridiculously fun experience for everyone – everyone gets involved, everyone keeps each other safe. You’re far more likely to end the set in a massive group hug than with a punch in the face (although that’s mostly just to keep yourself standing after some intense moshing!). And many of their song names are references to classic kid’s shows and video games, which is always a bonus.

2) We Came As Romans
Everyone’s new favourite synthy metalcore band, they don’t have a bad word to say about anyone. Their albums are all about positivity, and their recent slot on the Take Action tour in support of the ‘It Gets Better’ campaign couldn’t paint them as any more angelic. If you’re ever feeling down, listen to Understanding What We Came To Be and you’ll instantly feel better about life.

3) Parkway Drive
Okay, ‘Romance Is Dead’ might be about wanting to choke the life out of a former loved one, but we can all say we’ve had those moments at one point or another. Otherwise, Parkway Drive take their anger out on more noble causes, such as our rampant destruction of the Earth. Atlas is all about the potential demise of our planet if we don’t buck up our ideas. Parkway are also massive fans of the circlepit, but only if you treat each other with respect. And we will, Winston and co, we will.

4) iwrestledabearonce
Ever been to an IWABO show? You’re doing yourself a disservice if you haven’t. Me and Kate threw many a pencil sharpener and a few egg and spoons the last time we were in the general vicinity. It’s also super rad to see such an incredible female vocalist in play in both cases – Krysta’s screams were utterly sublime and I figured there’d never be anyone who could replace her, but Courtney has done pretty admirably, bringing just as much flair and insanity to their live presence as Krysta did. It’s pretty hard to make out exactly what they’re saying though sometimes, so pick up a lyrics booklet and appreciate.

5) The Smoking Hearts
Victory! is a great record. It’s a real snapshot of life in the 2010s, but without subscribing to the bullshit. There’s plenty of stuff in there about standing up tall and rising above, but THS aren’t afraid to party on down with the rabble either. Sick guitar solos aside, THS bring it in every way possible in a live format, but while being perfectly pleasant to everyone around them. Top lads.

6) Sick Of It All
Have you ever listened to a Sick Of It All album and thought ‘well, I can see where they’re coming from but I just can’t identify with this in any way, shape or form’? I thought not.

7) DARKO
Skatepunk enthusiasts DARKO blend the Duracell bunny energy of that 90s sound with technical hardcore for an unbeatable thrill ride. From Trust To Conformity has a lot of anger and frustration in it, but it’s pointed in all the right directions, and a lot more poetic than you might first think. Get listening, get excited.

8) Attack! Vipers!
I literally can’t express my love for Attack! Vipers! enough. Completely standup guys with an explosive live show (high risk of human pyramids included) and stupidly talented musicians to boot. Feeling bad about popular hardcore and its shitty attitude? Have a scroll through the Attack! Vipers! Tumblr page and you’ll see posts speaking out against discrimination and injustice, in the scene and wider. Great stuff.

9) Empire
Shedding Skin is a slice of crashing, beautiful melodic hardcore. The desolate landscapes that it describes and the feelings of discontent and fear are ones that are applicable to all of us. Back in the early 2000s, most of the bands doing this kind of thing were writing songs crying about how girls had wronged them. Empire take a far different approach and we love them for it.

10) Not Right
Definitely more punk than hardcore, but it’d feel wrong to write a piece about solidarity and community without including Not Right. Queer riot grrl noise with a focus on trans issues, general activism and, in their own words, “the politic of people before profit”. And well, they definitely play loud and fast enough to fit in on this list.

Review: Not So Broken – It Is What It Is [EP]

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!

Review: Hampshire – Two Trains [EP]

The latest EP from Detroit natives Hampshire is, quite frankly, a masterpiece. If you wanted to stop reading now and just go to buy the record from their Bandcamp at a name-your-price rate (or on cassette, if that’s your thing), then you could do. I’d recommend it, and then you’d get to experience it like I did; no preconceptions, no expectations, absolutely no idea what you’re about to hear. What I did hear was nothing short of amazing.

For those of you not ready to take the plunge without a few guiding words, Two Trains is a deep and involving record. Since their inception in 2008, Hampshire have carefully been working on developing a layered and emotionally complex sound that truly comes to fruition in Two Trains. In some ways, it is like if Saves The Day and Brand New got together and had a freaky little lovechild, but it’s also extremely accomplished and stands apart from its influences. Thankfully, they’ve picked up that penchant for great lyrics from that scene, and Two Trains is a pleasure to lose yourself in, to feel yourself wrapped up in love and loss and growth and life but in a way you can never quite phrase yourself. That same evocative nature feeds right into the musicality of the EP. ‘Windows’ is melancholic yet highly inventive in its approach, with some creepy, hair-raising screams in the chorus backing the main vocals. The harmonies in ‘I Want To Deafen Your Ears’ are soaring, beautiful vocal arrangements. Hampshire aren’t afraid of a little variety either. The first two songs of the EP are the heaviest, but in ‘Let Down’, they start to embrace a slightly poppier edge, almost Inkwell-esque. The range that Hampshire display while still being faithful to their own voice is fantastic – and the completely balls-to-the-wall guitar solo at the end just validates that. To say that Two Trains is a serious record isn’t remiss, but they know how to inject just enough lightness so that it doesn’t completely weigh you down. And at the end of the journey, in ‘Waiting Game’, the record builds to a crashing crescendo, leaving a marked impression.

We need more music like this. Forget Warped Tour; get into something with a little more bite. Get into Hampshire.

5 out of 5 high fives!