From the chunky bass sound, to their sharply political but tongue-in-cheek lyrics, everything I loved about their previous 7” Step Down is present on this follow-up. On this outing, the DC-based trio brings four new tracks—great new additions to the band’s catalog—but the opening track “Chemicals,” is my favorite. Its strong hooks capture the witty lyricism of the band at their most biting and feature some of my favorite riffs of any of their songs. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that the closing track, “IG-88,” is not only a rad instrumental track that allows the band to flex their musical chops, but the title is also a sweet Star Wars reference. Recorded at Inner Ear Studios with Don Zientara—possibly in the same recording session as their previous EP—these tracks have the pristine recording quality we’d expect from such a pedigree. It’s December as I’m writing this, and this 7” has definitely snuck into my top ten releases of the year.
–Paul J. Comeau (Crooked Beat, [email protected] [email protected])