I’m not entirely sure what kind of band Pete’s Sake is, because this EP spans the full range of punk rock, from melodic hardcore to solid skate punk to a more emo sound that hints at their diverse influences and talent without appearing hackneyed at any point. And that’s a good thing, because as much as I love a good bit of skate punk it’s always interesting to mix things up a bit. That’s what they do on ‘Cabin Fever’, a fantastically energetic track that compounds Strike Anywhere, Phinius Gage and Brand New into one three-minute opus. It does feel at times like PS are struggling to find a definite identity but there is a comfort in their sound that doesn’t feel strained or as if they’re riding the wave. ‘Cake’ has that rolling beat that never fails to make me want to sing along even if I don’t know the words with a crunching chorus that is nicely offset by some breathless guitar work that ensures their categorisation is made that little it harder again.
The heavier ‘Merits’ again shows their talents in crafting a genre-mix without making things too confusing, because it’s all recognisably punk rock and makes you think just how closely related all these ridiculous sub-genres are. It’s worth noting how well everything flows into itself, and at no point does it feel like there’s been some musical gaffer taping of one style onto another. Closing track ‘Old Ghosts’ moves closest to NOFX (a good thing) while retaining enough of its own identity to avoid instant classification with a perfectly timed bridge and chorus that transform a heady punk rock track into something with a larger sound and that impressed me greatly. Along with this lot and Ipsofacto are two bands that have come up with two unassuming EPs that are confident and assured without being exactly like the main trends in punk right now and are both well worth investigation.
Ben
www.petes-sake.com