Advocate is a melodic punk band from Oakland, California and “The Management” is their debut EP, which dropped August 26th on Death To False Hope Records. I’ve gotta say, these guys really hit the ground running when they released this bad boy!
“The Management” is 4 songs of straight up punk rock with a perfect balance of melody, speed, technical guitar work and melody. Clocking in at just a little under 13 minutes, it has just enough music to give you a good taste of what Advocate is all about.
The first track, “Collateral Damage,” is overflowing with desperation. From lyrics like, Do you remember what they said, when they were counting up the dead?, to the dramatic instrumental work, the band does a really good job at portraying the angst we love so much in punk rock.
Next up is the title track of the EP, “The Management,” which is a more melodic song than its predecessor. Instead of talking about body counts and death, it’s about taking back what’s rightfully yours and not letting other people walk all over you. My favorite lines from this song are I’m sick of being too afraid to sleep, so i’m taking back my hopes and dreams, and If the villain doesn’t die, the hero doesn’t win. Lines like these are what make this song one of the more memorable tunes on the EP.
The third song on “The Management” is called “Red White & Used,” and it’s about life’s trying times that leave us feeling used-up and old. There’s a guitar solo in this one that sounds familiar but I can’t put my finger on what it reminds me of. In any case, it’s catchy and flows well with the song.
Now for the final song, “Jonestown Summer Camp.” This track concludes the EP nicely, slowing things down a bit but still keeping it heavy. Lyrically, it’s about just wanting to shut the world out. It starts off with acoustic guitar but just when you think you’re going to hear the standard acoustic closing song, the booming drums and electric instruments bring us back to band’s wheel house.
“The Management” gets a 5-star rating from me because the band manages to fit so many themes and emotions into a 4-song EP. I’ll have it on repeat until Advocate puts forth their next release, and you can join me by downloading a copy of it right here, for free or course.