Album Review: Death In Venice Beach by The Bombpops (by Chris Bishton)

For a band to be releasing just their second album in their 13 year history, you might think their hearts weren't really in. Not so with The Bombpops. Death in Venice Beach follows up 2017's Fear Of Missing Out debut and what seems to have been a pretty constant few years of touring throughout America and Europe.

It also follows the well documented drummer and bassist revolving door years, all of which means the band are now a firm fixture in the Fat Wreck stable, regulars on the Punk In Drublic stage and even performing cameo appearances in NOFX videos. So, in fact, it turns out the band are incredibly hardworking and with Death in Venice Beach they've put out a great record. A just reward for hard work paying off.

The Bombpops are unashamedly pop punk. And I find that a great thing, especially in these dark times. No pretence, just great perky, devil-may-care, fast, sing-a-long pop punk. But, that's not to say that they're in any way shallow. There's no cringey, unrelatable, teen-angst material here. The first track is Dearly Departed and straight away name checks a host of A listers now no longer with us – from Jesus to Sid Vicious – whilst pondering whether these people offer any life lessons to us today. It's not normal pop punk fodder, but it's still a great pop punk song.

Next is Double Arrows Down. One of the singles from the album that was released before it came out. I already loved this before I heard the whole LP and hearing it again, in the context of the rest of the album, I still do. There are many bands that raise awareness of issues that are important to them, and this song is one of those for The Bombpops. Poli van Dam, guitarist and co-lead singer, has Type 1 diabetes. She often refers to the disease in interviews, on social media and now this song specifically records an incident when she had a seizure on tour a couple of years ago. Again, it's a pretty dark subject for a pop punk track, but I love how Poli and the band have produced a brilliantly energetic and catchy track like this, but have also helped people's understanding of a disease many still don't know much about.

There's brilliant harmonies teamed with great guitar riffs and hooks throughout this record. Zero Remorse shows this off perfectly. Poli and Jen Razavi, the band's other guitarist and co-lead singer, share singing duties and accompany each other really well on this.

Perhaps the only song that's a letdown to me comes next. It's odd because it's the other track that was released as a single before the album, Notre Dame. Lyrically, it's on a more familiar pop punk footing – a broken relationship, getting over that, moving on etc. – and it is fast, melodic, catchy, but this doesn't really do it for me. Maybe those sort of lyrics just aren't for me?

Sad To Me is a bit slower, but seems to flow from the previous track. It’s all about someone (the person in the previous song?) being a dick! Harmonies, tuneful guitar and a sing-a-long chorus. I like this a lot more and the album is back on track.

The other standouts for me are Can't Come Clean and 13 Stories Down. Both referencing drinking, but not in a puffy, fun, glamorous manner; rather in a more introspective, cautionary and regretful way. The first starts with a clip of the band arguing, swearing, threatening to quit and probably recorded when alcohol had been flowing. The song then kicks in and a signature pop punk flows. It's about drunken fights and crappy posts on social media – something I'm sure many will relate to – but it also turns out that it's semi-autobiographical tale as Poli has since revealed she's been in rehab and has embraced sobriety.

The record concludes with Southbound Stranger. A rollicking and memorable way to finish off a record. It's also easy to imagine the band smashing this out live. I haven't seen them for a few years, but it's a great reminder for me to catch them at the next opportunity.

Death In Venice Beach is a cracking pop punk album. It's a So-Cal, Fat Wreck release so some will have an opinion formed on that alone – pop-punkers and skaters should love it. But as well as having that feel good, pop punk vibe, there is a more abrasive side as well. The fun, rip-roaring, guitar and melody works really well with the juxtaposition of edgy, meaningful and thought-provoking lyrical content. I'd give it a listen, and not to just brighten up your day but to ponder on a few things as well.

Stream and download Death In Venice Beach on Bandcamp here.

Like The Bombpops on Facebook here.

This review was written by Chris Bishton.

Album Review: Cosmit by Cosmit (by Emma Prew)

Bristol-based label Specialist Subject Records have a brand new band on their ever impressive roster but, although the band itself is new, you may well be familiar with its members. A Specialist Subject supergroup of sorts, Cosmit are Jeremy and Steven formerly of Austeros (RIP), Max of Toodles & The Hectic Pity, Erica Freas and the SSR legend that is Kay Stanley. After forming last year and playing their first ever gig at the Specialist Subject Christmas party and just one other show earlier this year for Toodles’ EP launch, Cosmit have just released their debut three track EP.

The first of the three songs is called Keep It Real. An upbeat and snappy tune of only a minute and a half in length, Keep It Real features fuzzy garage punk style riffs and succinct lyrics. A particular highlight of the song is the subtle backing harmonies (‘Ooh-ba-ba-ooh’) as Jeremy sings ‘Yeah we can keep it real’. Stranger is the name of the second track. Here we have another fast paced number that is quite simply an infectiously catchy pop song. If it wasn’t for the fact that the song opens with the line ‘Don’t leave me here, All on my own’, you might mistake this song for carefree and happy number. It certainly feels like one you’d want to play loud when the sun is shining outside, particularly the chorus which sees Jeremy and Erica exchanging lines. The final song of the trio is the bass-heavy Rolling Sea. Cosmit slow the pace down a little here which allows the listener to focus fully on every word that Jeremy sings. Rolling Sea is about being there for someone, even if all they feel like doing is crying – crying can be a great release and you shouldn’t feel ashamed to want to cry. The song has some of the finest lyrics I’ve heard this year – ‘You can keep crying, Put it all out there, Every tear, Is a fist in the air’.

A Cosmit 7" is available to pre-order (due mid May) but the songs are available to download and stream on Bandcamp now.

You can also like Cosmit on Facebook to keep an eye on what they’re up to next.

This review was written by Emma Prew.

Album Review: Split by Trophy Jump and afewyearslater

Split EPs are great. Often a band you're a fan of will release one with a band you've never heard of before that you quickly become a fan of. This was the case for me when our friends in Croatian punk rockers Trophy Jump released a four song split with Hungarian band afewyearslate.

afewyearslater kick off the EP with the fifty-five second long It's A No. This was a great introduction to a band I hadn't heard of before. During the track's short duration they managed to display all that afewyearslater are about. It's a melodic pop punk style with gruff vocals that are easy to sing along to. The song is about being angry and frustrated with how the powers that be treat people and wanting to rebel against this.

Trophy Jump's first song is titled Glass Bell. This is a much poppier affair than afewyearslater's effort. This doesn't stop it having the same impactful meaning though as Antun sings about those people who talk about living life to the fullest but in reality just do what they're told or what they think they're supposed to do.

Go On is the name of afewyearslater's second offering. It covers a similar theme to Glass Bell, perhaps even takes it a step further by encouraging people to go their own way and aim for their dreams. I wonder if this was intentional by both bands or just a bit of luck. The song seems to have a higher tempo than It's A No does, giving it more of a sense of urgency. I loved the positive message in the song.

The split is completed by Trophy Jump and the song Bazooka Blaze. When I read the name of the song, I thought that Bazooka Blaze sounds like the name of a cheesy kids superhero character. It turns out the song is about a person who runs round saving drunk people from criminals. I assume this song is just a bit of fun but I seriously hope there is someone running around in Croatia doing this. This song put such a smile on my face from the first time I listened to it and it got bigger and bigger as the song went on.

I really enjoyed this split. It's short and sweet and a great showcase for both bands. If you don't know either band yet, then I highly suggest you check them out.

Stream and download the split on Bandcamp here.

Like Trophy Jump on Facebook here and like afewyearslater on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

CPRW Playlist: April 2020

CPRW Playlist: Here's what Brett, Chris, Dan, Dan#2, Emma, Lee, Marcus, Omar, Richard, Robyn and myself have been listening to in April.

Top Tens: Ten Things That Are Keeping Emma Sane During The Lockdown

I consider myself to be extremely lucky that, despite everything that’s going on at the moment, I’m still able to continue working with relatively little change – all things considered. Instead of driving for twenty minutes to get to the studio where I work as a graphic designer with around thirty other people, I have my ‘office’ set up in our living room and am connected to my design team and our clients via video calls, emails and instant messaging. I sure am grateful to still have some sort of a routine and to know what day of the week it is (as well as still having an income, even if I don’t have oodles of free time to watch Netflix (we don’t have it anyway) or take up baking (can’t get the ingredients anyway).

Obviously, it’s weird being by myself all day – Colin is still going out to work while I work from home – but there are some pros of that: I get to pick what I want to listen to. All day, everyday! Here are some of the, mostly audio-based, things that have been helping to keep me sane in these crazy times, not necessarily exclusively whilst working but also what I’m occupying myself with instead of going to gigs or the gym…

Having more time to check out new music
I’m starting with a pretty obvious one but having more hours by myself in a day means more time to listen to whatever I want – without backlash. It also means I can try something new and skip songs or switch to something else if I decide I don’t like it. Sometimes I just stick on relaxation type music with nature sounds but mostly I listen to vaguely punk music. Some new, to me at least, artists I’ve checked out over the past few weeks include Church Girls, Cosmit, Dogeyed, Ellen And The Degenerates, Follow Your Dreams, Hi Water, Menagramo, Moon Bandits, Ratboys, Shoplifters, The Special Bombs, THICK and Trash Boy. I’ve also been getting into Phoebe Bridgers, including Better Oblivion Community Center, in the last week which I realise isn’t strictly ‘punk’ but I know a lot of punks are fans.

Taking up running
If you know me then you probably know that I am a keen swimmer, by which I mean that before leisure centres closed I was swimming 5 or 6 times a week. I’ve had to fill the hole that not being able to go swimming every morning before work has left in my life with something so I’ve taken up running. I’ve just completed Week 5 of Couch to 5K (I ran a full 20 minutes without stopping!) and music has really helped me get this far. I’ve rebooted and updated an old playlist, now titled UPBEAT, that I used in previous years to get me through gym sessions and it has become the soundtrack to my running journey. I’m always open to suggestions of other songs to add to it – it is by no means complete!

Listening to Spanish Love Songs’ and Worriers’ latest albums
Brave Faces Everyone by Spanish Love Songs and You Or Someone You Know by Worriers are probably my two favourite albums released in 2020 so far. They each tackle, among other subjects, huge world issues such as how the impact of climate change is making it literally feel like the end of the world is nigh. Guess what?! Both albums feel even more relevant in this weird old era of COVID-19 and are essential listening for everyone reading this. I Imagine these aren’t the only two albums that feel like a soundtrack to how things are at the moment but they are the ones that have stuck with me – and I still can’t get enough of either.

Listening to podcasts, podcasts and more podcasts
There are some days when I don’t really feel like listening to anything in particular music-wise but I need something on between video calls to ensure I’m not sitting in silence. Given that the main thing – at least, other than the coffee machine – that I’m missing about not being in the office is general chit-chat, it’s been really great to listen to podcasts. Not all of the podcasts I listen to are music themed – I’ve started listening to a sci-fi comedy called Voyage To The Stars which has 60+ episodes for me to work my way through – but a fair few are. Desert Island Punks is continuing to put out new episodes despite the lockdown and the new-ish episode with Kay of Specialist Subject Records is a great listen. Glasgow based promoter Dammit Presents has a new podcast with the first episode featuring Graham and Sean of Goodbye Blue Monday. I haven’t had a chance to listen to that yet but I’m sure it’s a time. Other good ones include: Lifers with Ed Gamble (heavy metal but it’s Ed Gamble so…), Superbeast Podcast (current affairs plus music) and The Wasting Time Podcast (pop punk/alternative music interviews).

Having more time to listen to vinyl
Over the past couple of months, Colin and I have built up quite a pile of records that were yet to have their first spin due to us not being home at the same time or because we were both out at a gig – who remembers gigs? We’ve now made our way through the pile, including those that we’ve bought since the lockdown began, as we have a lot of extra free time in the evenings. We’re not really ones for watching too much TV and would much rather put a couple of records on with dinner in the evening. In terms of choosing which record from the pile to play next, Colin uses a spinning wheel app on his phone. The Discogs app also has a great feature for choosing a random record from your whole collection simply by shaking your phone. This week we’re listening to records from bands that should have been at MPF 2020.

Watching livestream festivals
I’m sure everyone reading this has watched a livestream gig or two over the past couple of weeks. There have been so many that it’s impossible to catch up on them all, let alone tune in to them as they happen. I’ve particularly enjoyed the online festivals that hardworking folk such as the Specialist Subject Records gang (Distant Together) and the Booze Cruise Festival team (Boatless Booze Cruise) have put together on Instagram and/or Facebook. Not only do you tune in to see live sets by artists you know and love but you stick around to check out others that you’ve not heard of before – it’s great for the musicians involved and it’s great for you. There’s also a sense of community with the live comments alongside the streams, it’s nice to see familiar names pop up. Sure, it’s not the same as being at an actual festival but it’s still nice. Tune in to @mcrpunkfest on Instagram this weekend for all things Manchester Punk Festival, including yoga at midday on Saturday.

Cooking some different things
Bear with me here, I realise that this doesn’t sound particularly music related but I’ve really been enjoying trying some new recipes over the past few weeks. Obviously, I’m still working so I haven’t been baking sourdough bread every day or even making immensely difficult things on weeknights but I have whipped up homemade vegan garlic mayo, mango sorbet and vegan ‘halloumi’ (this one wasn’t such a great success but it was perfectly edible), as well as trying out several new curry and stir fry recipes. I also cooked some pretty darn good roast potatoes in my first ever attempt at a roast dinner – ask Colin. I have Vegan Punks, one of my favourite vegan food blogs, to thank for how the roast potatoes turned out. I recommend following them on Instagram. They share stories as they cook certain recipes and they always include what they’re listening to – punk rock, of course!

Doing design outside of my day job
Something I haven’t done a great deal of in the last few years is design work or any other creative pursuits beyond taking photos on my phone to upload to Instagram. When I work all day every day on my computer in Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop, I thought the last thing I’d want to do would be to spend my free time doing that as well. Then I got free reign to design the CPRW Records logo and subsequently each compilation’s artwork. This was all before COVID-19 really became a problem in the UK and it was a struggle to fit in but more recently I drew our beloved home-from-home and favourite music venue the New Cross Inn for CPRW Records’ brand new compilation in aid of Music Venue Trust. It’s nice to be able to do something, however small, to help the music venues and bands that we love so much. The comp is released next Friday, 1st May – please check it out on Bandcamp!

Non-screen based pastimes
It’s good to try and get away from your screens and devices as much as possible each day of lockdown. Getting your daily exercise (assuming you’re allowed to do so in your country, as we are currently in the UK) is one way to do this but when you’re stuck inside the house it can be difficult to know what to do with yourself and it’s all too easy to spend your time scrolling through social media or watching episode after episode of whatever on TV. I jumped at the chance to order a jigsaw puzzle from Stöj Snak when they announced that a limited number of ScreamerSongwriter Heart and ‘Pandemic’ Dinosaur puzzles would be available soon. I opted for the dinosaur and am eagerly awaiting its arrival from Denmark. With 1,000 pieces, it ought to keep me busy for many, many, many hours. I was also pleased to see that Specialist Subject included at ‘puzzle punx’ crossword in their latest Liner Notes newsletter – order some records from them! I’d love more punk-themed puzzles so let me know if there’s more out there.

Getting back on track with my 2020 reading challenge
Okay, this one is completely not punk rock related. I haven’t read any particularly music orientated books this year but I still can before life goes back to normality, I suppose. I was a fairly frequent reader anyway and had set myself a goal of reading 35 books this year (Goodreads) but had fallen behind schedule – probably because I went through a phase of falling asleep before even reading one chapter in bed at night! I’ve taken this having more free time opportunity to do something I’ve been meaning to do for years and have started re-reading the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. I also want to re-watch the films (extended editions, obviously) at some point but we’ve started watching the Marvel films in timeline order instead.

What things are you doing to keep sane at the moment? What would you recommend?

This top ten was written by Emma Prew.

Album Review: Pears by Pears (by Chris Bishton)

So, I can't launch straight into this review without a bit of context. It's a Sunday afternoon, I'm sat in my garden drinking a beer and eating, sunburnt on the first really sunny day of the year, listening to the new Pears album. On the face of it, life is pretty sweet.

Yet, we all know it's not. It's pretty awful and absolutely surreal. Lockdowns, self-isolation, social distancing. Tours have been canceled. Venues have closed. Thousands have lost their jobs. And, of course, people are dying. It's indescribable but, if you took all that crap away, I'd be pretty happy right now.

Anyway… onto Pears. I'll be honest, it's been a while since I listened to any new hardcore. Age has mellowed me. That's why I was surprised when I found myself scrambling to order a colour vinyl variant of the new Pears record when that stupidly small window of opportunity opened online a few months ago. They're now pretty established on Fat Wreck and if you want those colour vinyls from that label you usually have to react fast.

Surprised, because when Go To Prison and then Green Star came out a few years ago neither grabbed me. Obviously, not because they weren't any good – they are both great records – but like I say, my taste has mellowed and I tend to go for a more melodic listen these days.

But then frontman Zach Quinn released his acoustic album, which I have so much time for, and the band did the split with Direct Hit! which I loved. Still with that hardcore flavour but with a song like Arduous Angel they suddenly seemed to have become a bit more melodic. And then, what sealed it for me, was early this year they released Comfortably Dumb as the precursor to the new album. Again, it's what I still think of as hardcore but with a really harmonic and tuneful chorus – their sound has changed – and sometimes it continues to change not just from track to track on the album, but even within the same song. I really like it.

The album starts with Killing Me – feedback and heavy guitar, but it's not overly frantic and it's very easy to make out the vocals. Then halfway through it slows and takes a different direction before returning to the tuneful vocals. It's a really great opening track.

Zero Wheels is more in the, what I would consider, traditional Pears style. Hard and fast and only about a minute and a half long. The old Pears are still very much on this record.

These two tracks layout out the feel for the rest of the record – different in style and often switching direction within the song itself. Comfortably Dumb, the song that ultimately persuaded me to buy this record, does just this. Hardcore, melodic, hooky and singalong all found in the same track.

Dial Up, Rich To Rags and Nervous all follow that trait – twists and turns but with that hardcore sound at the core of the songs.

The track that next really stands out to me is Naptime, which starts as if it's going to be a full blown, pop-punk song. It is really hooky, with singalong vocals. But then it turns, becoming a hardcore, albeit catchy track, that builds before fading into few seconds of acoustic guitar to finish.

The penultimate song Traveling Time is perhaps the one track that is unlike any other Pears song that I'm aware of. It's a poppy ballad for starters, full of fuzzy guitars and easily distinguishable vocals. I love it.

To finish though, the band return to that familiar hardcore sound with the tuneful vocals on Cynical Serene. Again, it jumps about a bit, in that halfway through the vocal becomes very serene itself, and then the track stops abruptly about 30 seconds from the end as a few chords on a guitar is strummed in order to finish the album in a truly beautiful way.

A couple of years ago, I never thought I'd enjoy a Pears record as much as I've enjoyed this one. I think the band themselves would probably concede their sound has changed a little, but it's still gutsy and raw, and I'd still say hardcore fans will like it. With 14 songs crammed into just over 30 minutes, you can't escape this is still blistering Pears.

The band had planned to tour extensively on the back of this record. I hope that still happens, as I'll now be making sure I catch them at a rescheduled show.

And by the way, I'm sure you're not wondering, but I did manage to score the colour vinyl but had to import it from Australia!

Stream and download Pears on Bandcamp here.

Like Pears on Facebook here.

This review was written by Chris Bishton.

Album Review: Bad Luck by Answering Machine (by Emma Prew)

Answering Machine are a five-piece powerpop meets rock ’n’ roll punk band based in Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 2016 by Samantha (vocals) and JD (guitar and vocals) – who are also school teachers – alongside Jackson (guitar), Craig (bass) and Louis (drums), Answering Machine have a couple of EPs under their belts and have just released their debut full-length. The album, titled Bad Luck, was released on 17th April on the ever excellent Wiretap Records. We were actually lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of the album but, unfortunately, COVID-19 got in the way and has delayed publication of this review until after the album’s release. This just means that you can actually go away yourself and listen to Bad Luck right now, however! Or you can read my review first…

Bad Luck kicks off with Riverdale and immediately sets the tone for what to expect from a full-length Answering Machine release. There are jangly guitars a’plenty and blissful dual vocals from JD and Samantha which are perfectly layered over one another, then topped off with some subtle backing ooohs. I had instant Tom Petty vibes when listening to this song which was not something I necessarily expected from a punk band but, on closer inspection of the album’s press release, Petty is in fact noted as an influence. ‘I’ve got one last regret, Tonight I pay my debt, Whatever it takes, To survive.’ The album’s title track and lead single, which was released last year, is up next – Bad Luck. Here we have big melodic guitars from the outset playing an oh-so-catchy riff. It’s not all about the guitars though, as the rhythm section really hold the track together. And, of course, there’s Samantha’s incredible voice. Bad Luck is the perfect mid-tempo pop song, complete with a catchy chorus. A particular highlight of the song is the bass breakdown in the bridge which is accompanied by some more of those lovely ooohs.

Without even hearing the third song, Bubblegum, its title suggests pop and… well, that’s exactly what we get. The Ramones influence is clear here, not least with the repetitive lyrics – JD sings ‘Give me, give me, give me, give me bubblegum’ while Samantha echoes ‘Give me, give me…’. It’s simple yet effective and sure is a lot of fun. Chugging guitars, a bouncy bass line and firm drums help Answering Machine deliver an infectious pop song that doesn’t fail to put a smile on your face. Hollywood Smog is the title of the fourth song. This song has a slower pace and muted instrumentation to start with, which allow us to focus on Samantha’s voice – ‘My head is filled up, Filled up with Hollywood smog.’ As the song progresses, the softer vocals from Samantha remain but the instruments pack a punch – what a wonderful contrast this is. Next up is This Year. The pace is upped here for an energetic pop punk song. From the excellent opening lyrics – ‘Spent the first day of this year, Shivering on my bathroom floor, I don’t want to do this anymore. Spent the last day of this year, Doing shots of whiskey with my friends, I’m not good at learning.’ – through to an instrumental breakdown towards the end of the song, this is a banger. It’s also one that I’m sure we can all relate to. This Year is about wanting to change your ways and learn from your mistakes, but repeating the same things you did last year. One of the real highlights of the album for sure.

The latest single, Cherry Coke, opens up the second half of the album. The song is as sugary sweet as its title suggests with more of those wonderful jangly guitars bringing an easy-going, summertime feel to the track. JD has said that Cherry Coke “[Is] for all the old folks who want to settle down but still have some fun. This one’s inspired by a love of Buddy Holly, 60s pop music, and The Ramones.” and you can definitely hear that in the song. I mean that both musically and with lines like ‘Yesterday is another day so we can sort it out.’ Marie takes a slightly different turn musically, at least to start with. Fuzzy stop-start guitars and a drum roll kick off the song which sound immense – in the best way. Soon enough, the vocals come to the forefront alongside a firm bass line. As reflected in the line ‘You’ve got seven ways to tell your story, Seven faces like your own.’, the song does feel like a story and is a joy to follow. Marie also features another short instrumental breakdown towards the end of the song, showing off the fine musicianship of each band member.

Track number eight, Wet Blanket, has quite a hard-hitting opening. This feeling is retained, although somewhat more subtly, when the vocals come in with lines like ‘I’ve got these violent fantasies, Sometimes they get ahold of me‘. Think of a punchy almost bluesy bass line and big rock ’n’ rolling guitars and you’ll be somewhere along the lines of Wet Blanket. There are also more of those lovely backing vocal harmonies that we love so much – JD and Samantha do a wonderful job of backing each other up throughout the album when one or the other takes the lead. The penultimate track of Bad Luck is called Water Signs. This song has a slower pace to begin with but when the vocals come in they drive the song forward and are accompanied by a super catchy, danceable guitar and bass parts – just try not nodding your head or tapping your toes along to this one, you won’t be able to sit still. The melody reminds me of something but I can’t quite put my finger on it. (Let me know if you can figure out what it is!) The final song on the album is Someplace. I was very surprised to hear harmonica and (I think) acoustic guitar for this last song. It was completely unexpected but I instantly loved it so much – honestly, this might be my favourite song on the album. Someplace has an entirely different sound and feel to everything else on the album but works really well as a closing track. I particularly enjoyed how JD and Samantha each had their own verses, while coming together for the chorus – ‘Always searching for someplace…’. A beautiful ending to one of the best powerpop albums you’ll hear this year.

Answering Machine have provided something for everyone on Bad Luck, whether you’re a rock ’n’ roller or a cheery pop fan, they have you covered. They even included harmonica if, like me, that’s something you think doesn’t feature enough in punk rock. We all need something to brighten up our days at the moment – well, most of the time really, but right now especially – and I think that this album is perfect for that. So put on those sunglasses*, kick back and enjoy half an hour of pop songs – you deserve it.

*You can wear sunglasses in your house or in your garden – no need to go further afield. STAY HOME.

You can stream and download Bad Luck on Bandcamp here and like Answering Machine on Facebook here.

This review was written by Emma Prew.