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Hi Sorry State fam! Hope everyone had a great weekend! I spent a large part of it doing some massive chores I’ve put off for literally years. Throwing away shit. It’s so hard! I have so many piles of stuff to donate, stuff to straight up throw away, and stuff that’s too expensive to donate and that I should sell instead. And tons of books from grad school I don’t see myself cracking open any time soon, but still can’t part with them. What’s not in my piles of shit? Records. At least I will have a lot more space for records after this whole spring de-clutter project!
Like the new JJ and the A’s EP, Eyeballer. I wrote about their S/T EP last September, which I obviously enjoyed, but I like the new one even better. They dial everything up a couple notches and they come out swinging and never let up. It feels like they’ve found their sweet spot and have settled in effortlessly. Brought to us again by the iconic La Vida Es En Mus, the Denmark trio knocked this one out of the park. An explosive mix of synth-punk, power pop, and hardcore. It’s only a little over six minutes and every song is killer.
The opener, Generation, is the perfect entry to the rest of the EP. It pogos its way into your ears and gets stuck there. It’s hooky, powerful, and chaotic, but it’s also structured and accessible. A little bit of everything. The same can really be said for the whole EP. The second track, Eyeballer, has become one of my favorite songs as of late. The beat is absolutely infectious. In my opinion, the vocals and drums are the standout instruments on this EP.
This EP is melodic and layered like their debut release, but it’s more aggressive, with little glimmers of positivity. You’ll hear all this in the closing track, The Runner. A great blend of aggressive punk and power pop. It’s the kind of song you’d put on to amp yourself up to do something you’re nervous about. The tight drum beats, razor sharp riffs, and crunchy bass parts are soaked in fuzz yet still sound clear and sharp.
And the vocalist sings more on this EP which I really like. She has a killer voice. Don’t get me wrong I love a good scream-sing, but the vocal diversity adds a lot of depth and interest. I really recommend this EP. It’s high-octane, high-energy, and fun. I’m really impressed with this one. Give it a shot! As always, thanks for reading! Until next time.
-Angela