Going Away Party

Going Away Party

Written by: PP on 06/09/2015 23:25:11

Midwestern style emo/punk has started making forays into the UK in recent years. Going Away Party from Slough is a good example with their heartfelt, emotionally charged brand of punk rock that draws equal parts from 90s legends like Mineral and modern incarnations of the same style in Dikembe, Wavelets and even Pentimento in places. Armed with an charismatic vocalist possessing just the right amount of throaty unpolished edge in his style, the band take us through introspective and intriguing, but ultimately rewarding and catchy pieces of emo/punk rock hybrid on their self-titled debut album.

The first four songs on the record echo the emotional depth of old Moneen records, but it is on the brilliant "Knocks & Bruises" that Going Away Party start fully displaying the potential that the subtly catchy "Stitches" showed early on. Here, vocalist Perry Hood strains his warmth-filled voice to its limits and almost breaks into a scream as the song explodes in an emotional climax about halfway through, and from here onwards it's classic 90s emo godhood for the rest of the record. "Quiet Weekend" showcases more raw, unadulterated passion that manifests itself in the form of an infectious sing-along melody, where production has been left purposefully lo-fi and raw to give their expression extra warmth and honesty-driven conviction.

Indeed, the earnest singing style together with the melodically ringing guitars makes "Going Away Party" an excellent listen throughout; the down-to-earth and touching lyricism like "...and I hope somebody buys this record, because I’m sick and tired of working for minimum wage" on "Punk Rock Rick" just add to the feeling of intimacy that surrounds the entire release. "Stay" has sparkling guitars, which contrast nicely against the Chuck Ragan-inspired raspy vocals loaded with charisma and passion. It's definitely a good thing the band have left the production close to a live format, because ironing out the semi-screams and raw glitches in Hood's vocals would've been a costly mistake. As it stands now, "Going Away Party" instead sounds like a heartfelt work of passion, one where every line, every riff, every drum beat comes out of a shared love of emotionally charged punk rock music. That's often the difference-maker between an average and a solid record, definitively landing their debut in the latter category.

Download: Knocks & Bruises, Quiet Weekend, Stitches
For the fans of: Dikembe, Wavelets, Mineral, Pentimento, Moneen, Small Brown Bike
Listen: Facebook

Release date 08.06.2015
Disconnect Disconnect Records

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