Well folks, the world is going to hell. Every day is a little more apocalyptic than the last and it’s hard to even remember the last time we went 24 hours without a constitutional crisis. In times like these it’s tempting to throw your hands in the air and drink yourself into oblivion. But fear not, my friends! If you find yourself fighting those feelings of anxiety and despair with a pint glass of hope, boy have I got the record for you.
Seattle’s Eep-Oop! are here to turn all your bad feelings into good feelings…or at least supply the soundtrack to a night of binge drinking with your pals. Just like a good mix drink, Sorry, the debut album from this five headed pop punk hydra, is a little bitter, a little sweet and guaranteed to lift your mood and help you forget that we are living in a global dumpster fire.
Punchy bass and big chugging guitars are balanced expertly with tight drum work and hooky synth lines to create a bouncy backdrop for the these 8 tales of depression, isolation, self loathing and angst that somehow come across as triumphant rather than lachrymose. The voices of dual singers Steve and Aimee fit together well, balancing one’s gruff and snotty timbre with the other’s more direct and melodic sensibility to create an effervescent mixture that helps the melancholy storytelling in the lyrics feel almost hopeful. If there is a common thread in these songs it is the desire to drink away the negative feelings that itch at the back of your brain, and party through the pain of post adolescent disillusionment.
The opening track “Blackout” sets the tone right out of the gate with the cracking of a beer and the rallying cry of the alcoholic, “Let’s get blackout drunk in the parking lot”. It’s a fun little rager to kick things off with a grin. “Don’t Waste Away With Me” is a synth driven tale of a relationship on it’s last legs, with each singer playing the parts of the respective aggrieved parties begging one another to walk away. The alternating perspectives make for a playful trading of self inflicted jabs, rather than a bitter feud. “R2Steve2” is the self deprecating declaration of a guy who can’t seem to get his shit together, and barely seems to care. I’m sure we all know some version of this guy, or maybe we are this guy deep down.
The album continues with more tales of self medication and voluntary alcohol fueled amnesia in the face of the struggles of life and love. Other standouts include “Crashing And Crawling” which has a lovely half time pre chorus dropout that adds a nice dynamic change to an otherwise full force charge, and an ode to corporate frustration and isolation called “Inbox” that finds Aimee taking the lead.
Overall, this is a solid first effort from a band that has a lot going for them. If you enjoy fellow Seattle punk poppers like Dead Bars and The Subjunctives or Bay Area drunk punks The Hammerbombs, this might be just what you’ve been looking for. The album drops November 21st, but you can stream the first two singles and preorder the album now via Bandcamp.
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