Review: Better Days, 'Nope' (Encapsulated, 2015)

3.11.2015

St. Louis, MO quartet Better Days formed in 2010, and I believe Nope (Encapsulated Records) is their third EP. Expect blazing melodic hardcore bordering on pop-punk, and pretty much every song runs less than two minutes. The entire affair is jam-packed with the type of high-energy power chords, zippy picking patterns/palm-muting riffs, and aptly plunky/prominent bass runs that would feel right at home alongside any number of Fat Wreck classics of the '90s. The great vocals, however, completely avoid any of the snotty immaturity often linked to this approach. Ever so slightly raspy, and definitely unique, they're absolutely perfect for this style.

Part of me wouldn't mind the production being a little bit more polished 'n' punchy, but at the same time its slight ruggedness makes sense given the aggressive/hardcore lean of the material. So, no real complaints, as it's pretty much flawless from a songwriting perspective.

What more can be said? It's four songs in a mere seven minutes (double that if you download via Bandcamp, as you'll receive four bonus tracks from the same sessions that had been previously released on a limited number of cassettes)! As far as I'm concerned, any fan of this particular style should be all over this. I don't run across this type of stuff too often in my older years, so I'm psyched that this band got in touch with us, and certainly look forward to hearing more.

The 7" is limited to just 300 copies (100 on white, 200 on clear), so don't sleep too long if you'd prefer to hold a physical copy in your hands...