I feel rather stupid. I’ve had a clutch of Over It MP3s for quite some time and been remarkably impressed with their spritely and enthusiastic pop-punk, yet never actually got round to purchasing any of their cds. Then, out of the blue, I opted to purchase this record, their latest full length and first release for the awesome Lobster Records. But now I’m red-faced because this is quite simply stunning stuff and I’ve been missing out. In my experience Lobster haven’t put out a bad record, but this could be the pick of the bunch. There’s melody, songwriting skill, awesome musicianship and energy in abundance.
‘Timing Is Everything’ is 11 tracks of pure brilliance. Imagine all the best bits from your favourite pop-punk record and give the concoction a massive kick up the arse. This rather crude recipe will start you on the Over It trail. Despite their relative youth the band have already churned out numerous releases, all quality I might add, but critics have proclaimed this their best work yet. It’s not hard to see why. Tracks like ‘Limiter’ are gorgeous, chunky slabs of pop-punk perfection, while ‘Wrong Way’ is jaw-droppingly stunning. Infact the outro makes me want to do a sex wee every time I hear it. ‘Serial Kisser’ is less obvious but still top, while ‘Fall’ stands out for being blinding. With a chorus the size of Africa, to me it’s the best song The Ataris never wrote.
The guitars sound huge throughout and vocalist Peter Munters, while coming across a little like the Alient Ant Farm vocalist, can really sing. Infact his voice, or the use of his voice, really compliments and adds to the melodies making every single song easy to hum along to. Tracks like ‘Nothing Serious’ and ‘Things You Never Know Existed’ prove the point, with the vocals twisting and taking on their own path beside some crashing drums and crunchy guitar riffs. Cameron Webb’s production is also spot-on, it never sounds too clean or polished yet is shiny enough to create a rounded effect. I could go on; ‘Thrill Seeker’ is short and sweet, ‘Cross Tolerance’ faster and more furious while the closing ‘Crush’ takes things that notch further.
I’ve been so blown away have by ‘Timing Is Everything’ that just today I purchased two EPs and I have the band’s first album on order. I feel like I’ve discovered my new favourite band. If you like Rufio, Slick Shoes and the fast and technical pop-punk bands of that ilk then you will most probably salivate wildly on first listen. Over It are going to be absolutely huge, it’s not a case of if, just a matter of when. They plan to visit the UK sooner rather than later and you’d be an absolute idiot to miss out.
www.overitonline.com
Lobster Records
Paul