I know I used it as a point of reference when I was writing about Bad Valentines last single, but as “Last Days In the Sun” kicks off their latest EP, a lot about it reminds me of Hanoi Rocks. And that isn’t just because, as fellow Finns, it is an obvious place to start, but because they too are experts at blending low-slung, gritty, sleazy rock and roll with an almost pop-aware infectiousness. And if you think I am implying that they are somehow stuck in the past, nothing could be further from the truth; that foot-on-the-monitor-fist-in-the-air blend of substance and style never went out of fashion, it’s a classic, as relevant to day as it was then.
And, as if to pull the rug from under my feet as I make that argument, “Summer Ends in June,” the story of time lost, seasons put on hold because you are missing someone important, comes from an altogether more contemporary indie-rock place—contagious riffs blending muscle with melody, groove with grit, the sound of rock and roll in the modern, forward-thinking age.
“Mariia,” I have heard before, and it still sounds like an instant classic, punk-spirit driving anthemic rock, and the EP ends on “Carry Me Home,” a song driving along on an almost ska-metal rhythm tempered by some excellent guitar work to ensure it stays on the right side of the rock and roll divide.
My first taste of the band made me realise that I needed to hear more. Now I have heard more, and I need to hear even more. New favourite bands don’t come along all that often, but I think that might be what is happening here.
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