Beach Slang

Cheap Thrills On A Dead End Street [7-inch] (2014)

RENALDO69

Beach Slang are worth the hype. If you want a band that seamlessly combines indie, emo and pop—punk and which manages to fit the bill for fans of The Replacements, Jawbreaker, Superchunk and Japandroids, then this is for you. By now, the biggest comparison though is to the sound of the Goo Goo Dolls. Vocalist James Snyder's low—brow and stifled delivery really sells this and continues to push the aching sentiment that Who Would Ever Want Anything So Broken? left us with earlier this year.

"All Fuzzed Out" opens things up to pick up right they left off. Fuzzy, frustrated and feedback galore but embedded in a musical style that Snyder thrives on. Twangy hooks and a '90s—era impassioned attitude a la Johnny Rzezknik allow him to embark on cleaner, more polished notes at times, followed by more ragged outlays. This helps to fashion Beach Slang as one of the more memorable bands at present due to the simple fact that they've got this distinguished sound. Their blanket statements seem catered to American teens and in this americana, you enjoy hearing basement stories, as well as Snyder's take on young lovers trying to find their place in the world. His words are earnest in the least and make for heart—on—sleeve material.

"Dirty Cigarettes" which was released a while now also brings out the curious, exploratory nature of the band as they redefine how "catchy" and "poppy" mix. They're neither yet somehow, their tunes stick and stick. The guitars aren't as brash or plastering compared to their earlier release this year but this decision is one for the better. It's a great change of gear as they step down into a bit more melodic, calmer territory. It actually shows that maybe if they combined both four trackers, we'd have a contender for record of the year on hand.

There isn't that huge a punk pedigree on the album despite the band's origins and their members' affiliations with the likes of NONA and Ex—Friends. In fact, they've channeled so much musical differentiation into their nostalgia and introspection that it appears they've watered down and just wanna look back on the good 'ole days and smile. However painstakingly genuine they go, is entirely up to them but as the acoustic "We Are Nothing" shows, we'll definitely enjoy their journey every step of the way. This unveils like it came straight off A Boy Named Goo. Charming and then some. You sense Snyder's awkward about his younger days and pissed off but still, it's all about lessons learnt and moving on. I think we need more records like this. Coming—of—age music that really tugs at the heartstrings. Keep your eyes peeled because Beach Slang's going places and with releases like this, it'll be sooner rather than later.