How do you objectively review your favourite band of all time, ever? With great difficulty as I’ve found out the numerous times I’ve put pen to paper on The Get Up Kids. One of my major regrets on PT was my original 2001 review of ‘Something To Write Home About’, something I managed to rectify last year when the album was re-released. It’s difficult to convey how much I love that album but I think I managed to do it. When the band announced they were re-uniting and touring the UK last summer I was in two minds as to whether it was a good thing or not – I’ve seen bands do it before and they’ve been a shadow of their former selves. Luckily the band were on great form and I wasn’t disappointed. But the announcement of brand new music was another opportunity for the band to trip themselves up…
‘Simple Science’ is the first of three EPs the band intend to release this year. It’s actually pretty good. I wouldn’t say it was classic The Get Up Kids – there’s a heavy ‘Guilt Show’ slant to the sound – but the songs here are pretty good. Not too instant, not too off-the-wall. Infact there’s only the electronica-heavy ‘How You’re Bound’ that won’t have you singing along by the end of the second chorus. Matt Pryor‘s vocals kick in fantastically well on ‘Tommy Gentle’ which, for me, is the pick of the four songs. The chorus is particularly strong, maybe a little ‘On A Wire’-ish, which is no bad thing, and a song that had me singing along straight away.
‘Your Petty Pretty Things’ is the first track and arguably the most instant. Bass-led and with Matt’s vocals taking centre-stage, it’s a fun little pop song. The closing ‘How You’re Bound’ is the biggest curveball, a track that’s heavy on the beats and samples and the furthest from the band of old. At over 6-minutes in length it does take a while to get going but it is a grower. I didn’t like the song at first but I’ve grown to enjoy it. I did have my fears that this would be a letdown, but thankfully it’s not. If you’re expecting another ‘STWHA’ then you will be disappointed. Just take this as a natural progression from where the band left off and you will enjoy this. Looking forward to what comes next…