The Arrivals
“My Generation” + 3 7” EP
Razorcake
Grabass Charlestons
“Gone Fishin’” + 3 7” EP
Razorcake
This is the second installment in Razorcake’s Sister Series, a pair of EPs released simultaneously by like-minded bands. Round two pairs the Arrivals (Chicago) and the Grabass Charlestons (Gainesville).
Heavy, smart, catchy—the Arrivals EP is all-around excellent punk rock. A quick glance at titles such as “My Generation” and “I Wouldn’t Dare” might suggest wink-wink updates of common reference points—namely the Who and the Replacements—but this record showcases a band who need not consider such cheap moves. “Drill Baby Drill” might be the best song, the breath-of-fresh-air common sense lyrics gluing together a seemingly incongruous set of musical ideas (Mott the Hoople/Cosmic Psychos boogie rock with a prog rock interlude). They wrap it up with a Grabass Charlestons cover (“Ask Mark Twain”).
“Un-American” is the high water mark on the Grabass Charlestons EP. Catchy, chimey guitars ring throughout the verse (suggesting a hint of “Run Through the Jungle”) with a nice bit of “woo hoo” in the chorus (suggesting a hint of Blur). The other cuts run together for me, not enough contrast between the verses and choruses. Which could be more perception than reality—I don’t dig the vocals and may be too hung up on that.
(By the way, the first installment in the series—Tiltwheel and Toys That Kill—is highly recommended. Both records are listed as out-of-print on the Razorcake website but they’re still available through Underground Medicine.)
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