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CLASS are back with 'But Who's Reading Me?', their third outing since teaming up with Feel It Records in June 2022. Recorded at Midtown Island Studios in their hometown of Tucson, Arizona, CLASS kick off their 2023 output with four stellar new cuts rounded off by alternate versions of two from their latest full length, 'Epoca de Los Vaqueros'. Fourteen minutes of punk, glam, garage, and power pop sounds swirled into one glorious EP from a group capable of writing and cranking out the hits on par with the best of 'em. The sky truly is the limit for the desert-dwelling geniuses in CLASS.
Our take: With their third release in barely a year, But Who’s Reading Me? establishes Phoenix’s Class as a prolific band, so it’s a good thing they’ve got a prolific label like Feel It to keep the goods coming. And boy is But Who’s Reading Me? good. It’s so good that it’s a shame it isn’t on vinyl, though I guess its awkward format (a lengthy EP with two re-recorded tracks from the previous record) makes it an odd fit for vinyl. The songs are just fucking great though, still in that zone of punky late ‘70s power-pop (they always make me think of the Flamin’ Groovies, though they’re much punkier), but crackling with an energy I find irresistible. Maybe this is an odd comparison, but this EP reminds me of R.E.M.’s Chronic Town, another record that took a chiming, Byrds-influenced sound, infused it with a punk energy and serious songwriting chops. I know we’re pushing a lot of poppy stuff in this week’s newsletter, but this isn’t one you should skip.
Our take: With their third release in barely a year, But Who’s Reading Me? establishes Phoenix’s Class as a prolific band, so it’s a good thing they’ve got a prolific label like Feel It to keep the goods coming. And boy is But Who’s Reading Me? good. It’s so good that it’s a shame it isn’t on vinyl, though I guess its awkward format (a lengthy EP with two re-recorded tracks from the previous record) makes it an odd fit for vinyl. The songs are just fucking great though, still in that zone of punky late ‘70s power-pop (they always make me think of the Flamin’ Groovies, though they’re much punkier), but crackling with an energy I find irresistible. Maybe this is an odd comparison, but this EP reminds me of R.E.M.’s Chronic Town, another record that took a chiming, Byrds-influenced sound, infused it with a punk energy and serious songwriting chops. I know we’re pushing a lot of poppy stuff in this week’s newsletter, but this isn’t one you should skip.