This Albany, NY alt-rock foursome was born in 2018 while singer/guitarist TJ Foster was hospitalized after heart surgery; he recorded their 2020 debut Don’t Wanna Live, Don’t Wanna Die by himself. For 2023’s impassioned second LP Suburban Mayhem, which I reviewed in issue 92, he recruited a crackerjack band — guitarist Matt Delgado, bassist Levi Jennes, and drummer Chad Flewwelling — who upgraded the attack tenfold. That lineup returns for this follow-up EP, the first of a planned music industry-themed trilogy (the second installment, The Lows, was just released on December 6th, while the third, …And Everything in Between, will be out in early 2025). Dispensing with Suburban Mayhem’s quieter moments, all four songs are vigorous and exhilarating, crossing The Decemberists, The Smithereens, and later R.E.M. Each one is augmented by Foster’s rousing, Colin Meloy-tinged vocals and thoughtful, perceptive lyrics that trace his early days making music while contemplating his legacy since.
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