Philadelphia’s Beach Slang open their debut EP with a line that should resonate with a lot of members of the punk scene: “I’m a slave to always fucking up. It’s not okay, but maybe it’s enough,” James Synder sings on the first track, ‘Filthy Luck’. “Turn the amps up to nine, I don’t want it too loud,” But loud it is, per the band’s description of themselves on Facebook: “Guitar, bass and drums. Played loudly.” Listening to Beach Slang’s debut EP, ‘Why Would Anyone Want Anything So Broken?’, on a sweltering spring day in Indiana seems pretty appropriate. The EP is out June 14 on vinyl on Dead Broke Rekerds and at first listen, it’s evident that fans of the 90s revival sound will be scrambling to snap the 7″ up.
Though the EP isn’t long, it packs a lot of emotion into four songs. If ‘Broken’ is any indication, the full-length should be very well received when it’s released. Beach Slang’s members also already have quite a bit of experience with the style they play on ‘Broken’. The band features James Snyder of Weston (90s pop punk from PA), JP Flexner of Ex-Friends and Ed McNulty, formerly of Nona, currently of Crybaby.
You certainly can also make comparisons to Goo Goo Dolls around the era of “A Boy Named Goo,” with maybe a little update – the guitars are brasher, it’s a little more emotional. ‘Get Lost’, the third track, is one of the more lyrically powerful songs on this short record, though all of the songs pack an emotional punch. “I watch your palm hug your guitar, it buzzes like a bomb; I hardly talk, my lips are carved with lust and clumsy thoughts.”
“They don’t know the power of amplifiers,” Snyder sings on ‘Punk or Lust’, ‘Broken’s closing track. We certainly do, though, and these tunes will hopefully be as commanding live as they are on record. Beach Slang is scheduled to play a few shows this summer so far, and will be making an appearance at Fest in Gainesville, Florida. The EP has already been available for streaming on BandCamp since late April, with plenty of supporters. If you’re one of those hoping and praying for a Jawbreaker reunion or bemoaning missing any of the Replacements’ reunion shows, you’ll likely find this EP a perfect early summer release.