Night Birds

Night Birds [7-inch] (2010)

Brian Shultz

Night Birds' self-titled 7" from last year is quick and dirty. The band's got ex-members of the Ergs! and Hunchback, and that requisite experience contributes to a rockin', '80s hardcore-tinged pop-punk record that sounds like early Descendents if they were way speedier and their guitar work was informed more by surf rock and '50s rock (is that redundant?).

Only two of the five tracks here exceed two minutes, and that makes sense–the band is playing way too fast and recklessly to have the sort of stamina that would elicit a three-minute song. Opener "Prognosis: Negative" is the longest and most "expansive" here, and it might be the standout as a result.

The EP gets faster as it goes along, culminating with middle track "Unanswerable", which is pretty much a straight-up '80s hardcore jam. Then they get a little slower again until instrumental "Harbor Rats", endcapping the EP it as a punky, breezy takeout.

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Night Birds EP