New York's Effective Relief are back with a new six-song EP titled Not Many, Not Many.
The band's signature blend of punk rock, noise, and dissonance is front and center throughout this latest batch of songs, while Matt Brennan's lyrics remain as sharp as ever.
Effective Relief continue to balance confrontational, satirical observations with offbeat and powerful music that comfortably straddles the line between punk and noisy garage rock.
The EP opens with "I'm With Stupid," a track built around a super catchy guitar riff that sits just beneath Brennan's gritty vocal delivery. It's the perfect introduction because it lays out exactly what Effective Relief do throughout the record: create an experience rather than simply play songs. Despite its generally mid-tempo pace, the guitar work provides more than enough energy to keep heads bobbing.
Brennan also delivers plenty of memorable lines, including the standout lyric, "Reality reeks of consequence..." For those looking for points of reference, there are shades of both Drug Church and Viagra Boys here.
"Back and Forth" is another standout. The combination of start-stop guitar work and driving rhythms gives the song an eccentric but undeniably catchy feel. The drums never overplay their hand, instead anchoring the song while perfectly complementing the chorus sections. The crescendoing guitar leads that emerge midway through are wonderfully placed, and there's something distinctly Fugazi-esque about the second half of the track, particularly the spoken-word vocals layered against the shouted backing vocals.
The song's clever construction continually pulls the listener forward. I also couldn't help but think of Johnny Got His Gun during lines like, "We are all of us brothers / United in grief, united in guilt / United in boredom, united in filth."
The closing track, "Passive," brings the EP to an energetic and powerful conclusion. Fun guitar leads are sprinkled throughout a driving foundation of rhythms and crashing drums. A particularly strong bass fill bridges the song's two halves and serves as an effective build-up to the record's closing moments. Brennan's vocal delivery feels especially reminiscent of Pat Kindlon here, perhaps more so than anywhere else on the EP.
Effective Relief have done a great job with Not Many, Not Many. This is a release for listeners who want a little more out of their underground music.
The EP has the angst and confrontation that hardcore fans crave, while also offering enough melody and wit to appeal to punk and indie-minded listeners. Best of all, it feels genuinely original.
Get It
- Bandcamp (digital, cassette)
Tagged: effective relief
