No Sir, I Won't

The Door [EP] (2013)

John Flynn

Boston's No Sir, I Won't feature members of the mighty Brain Killer (RIP) and Libyans. Musically, they play a sort of classic hardcore that combines the feel of Dead Kennedys and the crust of Crass and Discharge. The band have followed up their More Politicians with this six-song EP, The Door, and it builds on the two songs found on the earlier EP, giving the group a chance to really show what they can do.

Like any good politically-minded hardcore band, NSIW kick off the record with not guitar feedback or drums, but a sound clip. When the band jump in, they tear into the first track, which shares the band's name and is hereafter referred to as the theme song–as an aside, is that cheesy? I also love "Bad Religion" by Bad Religion, so you be the judge–delivering a chunk of furious hardcore, with the vocals shouted and scratchy and asking if "you really believe / in the system that made you a slave?" No Sir, I Won't waste no time presenting their thesis statement.

Over the all too brief six songs that make up this EP, No Sir, I Won't rail against a society that creates more losers than winners, and do it with a classic sound. "Elevators," to this reviewer, musically calls to mind Dead Kennedys' "When Ya Get Drafted." The band switch things up toward the end, starting the six-plus minute closer "When You Gonna Realize?" with quick-tempo punk rock and suddenly adding in a piano and ending with a prolonged bouncy, indie rock second half. This is a band with more tricks up their sleeveless shirts than just straight-ahead hardcore.

No Sir, I Won't have delivered one of the more immediately exciting EPs of the year, and listeners would be remiss to miss this one.