Ska punk is alive and well in Portland, OR. If you don’t believe me, give a listen to the new EP from Friends with Salad, Friends Kiss. Four rocking ska punk earworms full of awkward feelings and anxiety that stick the landing.
The opening and title track, “Friends Kiss,” navigates the feelings of being friend-zoned and the possibility of being more. This song leans more into pop-punk than ska. It’s Almost The Impossibles meets Nerf Herder, which is good company to be in.
Can Opener injects some ska into the trappings of anxiety and questioning actions that may or may not be gaffes. The song features a nice little breakdown with a trumpet solo. I like the tone of these first two songs. They aren’t exactly self-deprecating, but they are refreshingly self-aware.
The slowed-down and cleaner guitar tone of “Crayon” helps balance a record that could have kept its feeling mostly on the surface. Rather than making these songs passive, Crayon adds another layer of emotion to the band. The song is the band’s most ambitious arrangement, something I hope to hear them explore more. While resources are sometimes limited, they have the parts to widen their sound.
Friends Kiss has the perfect closer in, “Home Stretch.” It keeps the somewhat somber tone of “Crayon,” but is a song about being more exhausted than being broken. Repeating the line, “When this song is over I just want to be home,” hits on a feeling that is more and more comforting as I get older.
I’m usually hit or miss with bands that take their name from a Simpsons quote. For every Okilly Dokilly doing good work, there’s a Fall Out Boy ruining a reference for me. In this band’s case, you can make friends with salad… and their record.
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