We were caught by surprise when we awoke Monday morning and learned that T.T.T.T. released their debut EP, ‘Everyone Loves My Friends.’
Then again, Jacob King is steering the ship of this excellent psych-punk band and most things that King does are a surprise on some level.
At seven-minutes long, the four-song ‘Everyone Loves My Friends’ is raucous and raw. In some ways, it gives off a primitive vibe, (yet the musicianship within T.T.T.T. is too top-notch to be primitive.)
Besides King on guitar and vocals, the band — which has been active on the scene for several months — is rounded out by a rhythm section comprised of Cameron Bunch on drums and Megan Munro on bass. Guitarist and vocalist respectively of the surf punk band Tsunami Tsurprise, Bunch and Munro continue their pattern of coolness with T.T.T.T.
The chemistry and friendship between King, Bunch and Munro — who all hail from SUNY Fredonia — plays an integral role in the band’s willingness to push boundaries and ignore the limitations that punk too often sets. T.T.T.T. is willing to get weird and that willingness pays off time and again.
‘Everyone Loves My Friends’ kicks off with a re-recorded, re-released sonic version of ‘Portland of the East,’ a song that has been in King’s arsenal for some time in different manifestations.
“That song has followed me for a couple of bands at this point and I wanted to capture where it’s at these days. It’s sort of like, ‘Here’s the version as an actual band now, not just one weirdo in his room,’” said King, who also has released three solo albums.
Prevalent throughout the EP is King’s blistering guitar work, which escalates each song into a pitch of distorted mayhem for which Bunch and Munro do an excellent job providing a rhythmic foundation. The songs ‘Loser User,’ ‘Caw,’ and ‘Everyone Loves My Friends,’ complete the EP, each one boasting its own air of unconventionality.
Keeping in the tradition of King’s strong DIY ethos, ‘Everyone Loves My Friends’ was recorded “live in the basement,” according to the band.
Yes, we were completely surprised by the release of this EP. Now, we can only hope T.T.T.T. has more surprises up its sleeve.
***
(Please consider supporting 1120 Press HERE so that we may continue to fulfill our mission of ensuring Buffalo’s musicians, artists and DIY creators are seen. Thank you.)
Commenti