Bigger than Jesus,
Overthrow 69For a band so young, Overthrow 69 have a surprisingly raw and edgy sound that has more than a few approving nods to a gutter punk sound from the eighties. But what is so frustrating is that the edge which puts them in good shape for releasing something a little different is ruined by the other half of the demo featuring a trashy pop-punk sound that feels out of place and lacking in most key departments.
Starting with the fantastically old school ‘Burberry Hat’, the spit in your face sound puts ‘Bigger than Jesus’ in good stead, only to be completely trodden on by ‘Ollie & Steve’, which admittedly features a nice melody, but the contrasting poppier style doesn’t quite work as well. ‘Cordaroy’ is back to the openers wailing roots, but once again we return to a more free flowing effort in the politically charged ‘No Expenses Spared’. While none of the tracks lack energy, such differentiating themes of music can become a little difficult to listen to. It ends on the acoustic ‘A song for Her’ which once again highlights the indifference in sound and is really not needed.
With the Descendents-esque sound and crackling guitars, Overthrow 69 have a lot in their favour. The dual vocals work well on the tracks and it is refreshing to hear a young band play such a different style of music, but ultimately they are falling down on the simple things such as the tracklisting and pace of the EP. With a bit more work though, these boys could be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.
Jay
