The opener, “Mire and Loam,” really does bring to mind Dag Nasty with a hard-edged melodic delivery that the rest of the record is also imbued with. There’s definitely a sense of the 1980s here both in sound and the feeling that the band conveys with ripping guitars and rampaging drums at its core. It has a retro sound without losing a place in the here and now. Placeholder might be conveying serious messages but this music is energetic and uplifting. It makes me feel on top of the world and ready to face come what may. A cracking vinyl debut and let’s hope there’s an album to follow. If you are after this in the U.S., then try Atom Age Industries as the label only has a presence on Instagram. –Rich Cocksedge (Crew Cuts, [email protected], crewcutsrecords.limitedrun.com)