EndAnd - Fun Times With Shitty People EP (Self-Released)

With Brooklyn’s venue Death By Audio having just closed, many that have found a home in the borough’s D.I.Y. scene are wondering what’s next. While Gowanus’ EndAnd may not wholly be the answer, they certainly provide a visceral breath of fresh air and a sense of relief. On their new EP, Fun Times With Shitty People they continue to grow a strain of grunge punk similar to artists like Metz and Unnatural Helpers.

The six songs here are blisteringly short, but neither can they be considered hardcore or wholly unmelodic. In fact, the songs here are actually quite poppy, just strained through extremely twisted punk sensibilities. They almost resemble The Replacements on their Stink EP; they attempt breakneck punk, but there’s too much sloppiness and poppyness, and they’re all the better for it.

The best songs here as well are the ones that espouse the similar frame of mind represented in their style. Songs like “Choked On Beer” express that kind of drunken, fool-hearted attitude, and if you’re into such a thing, you’ll find it endearingly beautiful in a strangely effective way. Only “Fuck You Congresswoman Bullshit And Your Shit Staff” becomes silly because they attempt to be more than they are. Otherwise it’s a solid EP, worth listening to over and over again.