reviewed by Michael Thomas
It seems that a new BBQT EP’s arrival around summer solstice is as likely to happen as the summer solstice itself, and this is invariably a good thing. A band whose entire recorded oeuvre probably clocks in at less than half an hour nonetheless packs in more goodness and truth than some bands can in hours and hours.
For starters, you can’t escape the sugar rush of their sweet powerpop, bursting with the warmth and intensity of the summer sun. Starting dancing with opener “Moldy Melody” and its melodious, crunchy surf-pop vibe, start the mosh pit for the 33-second “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and its punk energy, and keep up a decent pace as you reach the rocking “Quicksilver Boys Club.”
And then there’s the bite-sized stories that will nonetheless ring true for so many people. In the aforementioned “Quicksilvr Boys Club,” a party doesn’t immediately bring back good memories. “When drinks get thrown back, I wish our love was still intact,” Amery Sandford sings. Before long, she’s drunk and being annoyed by a guy talking incessantly into her ear. On “Heart Shaped Sticker,” she focuses on the titular sticker among other things as she ponders whether a love is going to work out. With “Moldy Melody.” Sandford sings of regrets and trying to write a good love song that will never be a good love song.
There also may be some continuity with their previous songs: “Why Can’t I Luv U” mentions “…after the barbecue, now I can’t be around.” Just like a sugar high, the EP won’t last long, but unlike consuming sugar, you can play this EP over and over without adverse health effects. Go for it!
Top Track: “Moldy Melody”
Rating: Proud Hoot (Really Good)
