The best thing about music is that there are always new bands. There are always some young cats coming up to give a shot in the arm to anyone who cares to listen. Grammer, spelling error aside, has a great opportunity to be one of those bands. Though we’re still in the front half of the year, this is one of my favorite self released things thus far.
Awesome Knifes is exactly the kind of debut record that a band needs. It has high energy and vibrancy. Taking cues from classic Midwestern emo, a little bit of post-rock, and some punk drive, it is a solid EP that tells a great story from front to back. Starting with “Astronaww, Man” and going straight through to “Cigarette Regimen,” it tells a contained story of youthful innocence working down to jaded adult ennui. It progresses in a logical way lyrically, and so does it musically. It opens with a delicate, Midwest sound that gets more aggressive as the record continues. It gets into the more punk side of bands like Dads by the time “Quit (Your Job)” and “Friends In The Hotel Industry” hit. It’s 100% my jam, man. This is a band with heaps of promise.
Without resorting to hyperbole that I may later regret, I think this might be one of the strongest debuts I’ve heard in a minute. Get the right label and promotion behind them, and this band could be huge. The potential upside of this band is almost unlimited. It’ll be smart to get in on the ground floor.
Team Reasonable 