The Lackeys are hailing from Ottawa, Canada and this is their brand new e.p. containing five songs. These guys play nice melodic punk with some fast excursions into more melodic hardcore punk side of things. Vocals and backing harmonies are superb melodies, also guitars and great songwriting. There is not much to say about this one, except that it is excellent and I would love to listen to a full length somewhere in future. Lyrics deal with anxiety, breakups, fear, uncertainty, inner battles and love, also about taking a dump with a cell phone in hand haha which many of us do. I am sure these guys also sound fantastic live, maybe we will see them in Europe one day. Till the full length album, go listen to this one and show some love for The Lackeys.
Original Sharks are hailing from Brooklyn, New York, but they don’t play NYHC, they play melodic punk like it was played in the nineties on all those glorious bands and releases but also with some newer emo and pop punk thrown in here and there for good measure. There are eight songs on this little release, being quite short but effective. There you have your fast melodic skate punk in songs like ‘Old Standards’ or ‘Kit Carson’ but there are also slower more mid tempo heart rendering emotions of ‘Mudhound’. Vocals are a bit sad sounding, I mean like feeling sadness when singing and they are great. Backing vocal harmonies are just in right places and lyrics are personal, but written in a smart way and you can totally read them and think about and relate in your personal life, which once more confirms that music is life, life is music and we are in this scene because of that. This is a great band, so go support and throw some love their way. Record is ‘name your price’ but I am sure band will appreciate any kind of support and love.
Many people don’t love newer, darker Nofx phase with more varied songs, piano parts, dark introspective lyrics with lots of word play, but I love it. This, maybe last studio album of these skate punk legends continues where last one called Single Album left off. Songs are more up tempo and more energetic with beautiful, yet somehow melancholic melodies, Don’t Count On Me is one of my personal favorites with such superb vocal interplay between Fat Mike’s, Hefe’s and Melvin’s voice. I can also hear lots of Cokie The Clown(Fat Mike’s alter ego) in some songs. Also, band grew and gained a lot when Karina Denike joined on keys and backing vocals, the songs gained such great richness. Nofx also take verbal attack on the scene with Punk Rock Cliche, the song to which lyrics I can relate totally in many ways. The music is basically fast skate punk, but versatile, with reggae, ska influences, also I would dare to say progressive punk rock in many ways. Fuck Day Six is a great dark song about rehab, autobiographic and strong. Gone With The Heroined, which was called before Scarlett O Heroin on one of those seven inches series, finishes this ten song album in an incredible but darkened way. This is dark skate punk rock tour de force and if it is the last one by this legendary band it is a worthy legacy.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 