Punk…the genre that won’t go away and my god am I happy about that. A genre that has a mile long list of variants and types and as a consequence sometimes,Punk…the genre that won’t go away and my god am I happy about that. A genre that has a mile long list of variants and types and as a consequence sometimes, the core sound and style is often forgotten about. Many bands seem to go down the ‘Emo’ or ‘Pop’ routes of Punk but, thankfully Grown Apart’s latest EP ‘It Never Ends’ is a much needed reminder that punk rock can still kick ass.
Dubbing themselves as “three old boys who are the wrong side of twenty years old writing music we love twenty years too late” is almost a perfect way to describe their sound. It’s thick, it’s fast and it’s flat out punk. Obvious influences include bands such as Jawbreaker, Lifetime and Gorilla Biscuits as well as shades of Ceremony’s angst shining through.
‘Easy Life’ is the opener for this EP and what a rip roaring start it is! Fuelled with anger and hate this song is the perfect bad mood song from its angst-ridden start to the closing minute full of slow driven ranting that makes you feel like you are shouting up at the heavens, Bruce Almighty Style. This song I think demonstrates a lot of different types of Punk, with the start being reminiscent of Ceremony yet the sudden change to a more Turnstile-esque ending which is honestly one of the coolest things I’ve heard in a long, long time.
The EP remains quick and ferocious throughout but shows a certain level of maturity and softer sides notably on track ‘Klingon For Loneliness’ which is a driven account of, you’ve guess it, loneliness and It serves as a real standout track and one that I think will please a lot of modern punk fans with its polished and relatable lyrics which intertwine with some cliché yet kick ass drumming as well as a trip to riff city courtesy of Guitarist Daniel.
‘Smokes Trevor, Let’s Go’ is taken straight out of Punk Rock 101 in its melody, composition and delivery. The song is probably the weakest song on the whole EP, not because it’s remotely bad in any way just compared to the three other tracks that surround it, it falls just short. I think it’s just because it didn’t ‘wow’ me or connect with me in the way that other tracks on ‘It Never Ends’ have.
‘Life On Mute’ is a purely fun punk rock song (with a great start!) that will almost certainly make you want to dig out your old Playstation and whip out some kickflips on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2…or skate. (I don’t skate so Tony Hawk’s is my punk activity, ok?) ‘Life On Mute’ is a real throwback track which immerses you right back to your very first initiation with punk music. It also has a bassline that is face-melting and sounds like it could fit straight onto Greenday’s ‘Dookie’.
‘It Never Ends’ is one of the finest slices of Punk I have had the pleasure of listening to for a long, long time. The 4 tracks are a masterclass in the chosen genre, defying the need to shake the genre up in any mind-blowing way or by the dreaded use of cringe-worthy effects, Grown Apart stick to what they know, what they love and deliver it in complete punk rock glory.