Album Review: Catch! by Moment 22

Moment 22 are a four piece punk band from Helsingborg in Sweden. Recently they released the first of a trio of new EPs named Catch! I checked it out.

The first song Pardon My French starts like all good punk rock songs should start, with some crashing cymbals. The song is about being frustrated about being stuck in the same place and feeling brainwashed. This is some strong melodic skate punk music, everything is either strummed or hit hard and the vocals are as good as anyone else in the genre. Axes has more of a poppy feel to it, reminding me of former Drive Thru Records band Midtown. That could be quite an obscure reference so I'll try and explain the sound. The vocals are delivered with a melodic hook but also have a bit more of a alternative rock edge to them. The chorus on Axes is really catchy and will get a whole crowd singing along. The third song is another that falls more in a pop punk territory. Blood On Your Hands is a fast paced, hooky song that again lodge itself inside your brain very quickly. In a world where music is released every minute it helps to have the ability to write a catchy tune to grab a listeners attention, this is a skill Moment 22 have in abundance. That's not saying it's all sausage and no veg though, there is also a lot of substance to the music. The fourth song Reverie really stood out to me the first time I listened to it. Beginning with some nice whoa-oh's before some rapid fire vocals are delivered during the verse. The chorus then goes towards a more rock and roll sound and the whoa-ohs return, creating a wonderful atmosphere. An absolutely brilliant song that seems to take you everywhere. Catch! is finished with the song Last Call. This sees Moment 22 return to the melodic punk sound we heard on the opening track. On this song the whole band really get to show off just how good they are at playing their instruments, with guitars, bass and drums all getting a chance to shine throughout the track.

Moment 22 have released a brilliant and varied EP and have really come out of nowhere with it. I thought I was pretty clued up on the European punk scene, clearly I still need to do some listening because on the strength of this release Moment 22 have the ability to be one of the very best.

Get Catch for pay what you like here: https://moment22.bandcamp.com/ 

Like Moment 22 here: https://www.facebook.com/Moment22music 

Now listening to Criminals & Baseball Start by John Allen