Philadelphia's Wax Wav emailed me a few days ago and before I fully read the message I had clicked the Bandcamp link and was thinking to myself, "Oh, shit, this kinda has a Jawbreaker via Beach Slang vibe!" Sure enough, I went back to respond and saw that their message outright stated, "We've been getting some comparisons to Beach Slang," as well as citing similarities to The Clash and Jawbreaker, among others. I guess I wasn't off base!
"Losing My Mind" is the lead track from the group's excellent four-song, 16-minute debut EP of rock-leaning pop-ish punk with an emo/indie tint. I can't deny that it's pretty strongly reminiscent of fellow Philly natives Beach Slang, just a little more straightforward and subtly socio-political—though equally heartfelt. You can't argue with great songwriting, however ("One of Them" is another favorite—wonderful chorus), and of course I dig the way the well-balanced production lets those basslines hit home!
EP1 is now available for streaming or digital purchase through Bandcamp, but in an atypical twist, it's also going to be released as a zine + download code early next year through Aqualung Records—including handwritten lyrics alongside associated activism/charity information; plus writing, artwork, and photography from the entire band. I'm definitely curious to see how that's gonna turn out, and will look forward to hearing more tunes when the time comes, too...
