Los Angeles punk rock band LA Crimes packs a punch with its new EP. Boasting five songs in just over fifteen minutes, the band takes us through a journey of rough pasts, redemption, heartbreak, and death.
The first track, “Pirate’s Brawl,” is a fantastic opener. Fast with a jaunty little dip in the middle that still keeps its edge. If an opening song is supposed to be a thesis of an album, this song passes with flying colors. It puts everything on front street and lures you in for more. While the acoustic guitar in the opening bars of “Dark Side of the Road” threw me off a bit it ends up a nice addition to the song. These first two songs definitely keep that pirate theme, with their group background vocals that should be sung in a tavern after fifteen beers. It’s two drinking songs, but two different sides of the coin, one celebrating life and the other reckoning with sins committed. “Don’t Say Goodbye” describes a breakup no one wants but may be for the best. It’s heartbreaking but still keeps the punk rock. “Port to Port” jumps back into the album’s pirate theme with an analogy about learning how to act in different circles. The EP closes out strong with “R.I.P.”
I like the redemptive positivity of this EP. There’s a lot of self-reflection in the lyrics, which is something that isn’t foreign to punk rock but has been more prevalent in many newer albums I’ve heard in the last year. However, just because feelings are at the forefront lyrically doesn’t mean this is a poppy album. Musically, this album kicks ass and leaves you a little tougher when you get to the other side of it. If there is more music on the way from LA Crimes, this EP is a good taste of what’s to come. LA Crimes has a gig at the Viper Room in Los Angeles coming up on February 15th, with portions of ticket and merch sales to be donated to local shelters and people affected by the recent fires in Los Angeles. You can find more info here.