I remember checking this band out some time ago. I’m pretty damn sure that I did so when Mitch Clem dropped their name. I listened to some stuff online; that was that. I don’t recall exactly what they sounded like, but I can say that I don’t recall it being like this. Typically, I can’t really take too much of a band if they have a very noticeable Hot Water Music influence. For some reason, Neon Creeps passes under my radar. This is catchy in a HWM kind of way, but it doesn’t hit as hard like HWM does at times. It’s like HWM plus some straight-ahead rock influence. Anyhow, OP!!! comes through with an accessible rock punk record (no, I didn’t transpose shit) that sounded good as background music the times that I’ve listened to it. I could definitely see this being something that grows on me, especially if I were to find myself around others who enjoyed the album a lot and who chose to play it often. Also, the packaging seems pretty economical, which is always rad (in my eyes). My disc is in a cardboard packaging comparable to a digipack but without that plastic bit that is supposed to hold the disc in place but instead always breaks. There’s a pocket for the disc in place of the plastic bit, which makes the package more like a gatefold LP cover for a 5” record. The package is also has the lyrics and all else screen-printed on it. Not bad.
–Vincent (Asian Man)