Philadelphia is home to many a band and of them is the punk rock band, Beach Slang. Their latest release and really debut, The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us is an ode to all those rough, lonely, bummed out nights. Packed with distorted guitars and intense vocals, it makes for a fairly decent listen.
Jaded and beat but still trucking, The Things We Do sells an emotion particularly well. The album feels like a good old venting session with a few buddies and a few bottle so of beer. A more acoustic track, “Too Late To Die Young,” handles this particularly well. Violins and piano keys accompany the main lines. It’s all a bit much, almost demanding you give the band some sort of musical group hug.
The majority of the album carries some very Pennsylvania rock vibes –think Breaking Benjamin. While Beach Slang has a very flexible style and can sound surfy one second and go acoustic the next, their roots shine through relentlessly. Distorted, fuzzy guitars and often semi-screaming vocals. Basic yet honest lyrics. It’s easily digestible but not for everyone.
At its worst, Beach Slang’s latest album is like flat soda –flat punk. It seems so close to enjoyable but it’s just missing that special something. A lot of the album just feels too distorted and emotionally repetitive. The meat of the tracks are lost in a sea of less than interesting instrumentals. While not totally bad, the album just isn’t appetizing. It’s nice to start listening to but gets old quickly.
While the Philadelphia punk rock scene isn’t for everyone, more than certainly some people will love Beach Slang’s latest album. The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us is an emotional and honest rock album. It features a variety of style that may appeal to various tastes and for the most part keeps things safe enough to be easily accessible for most. While not stellar, it’s surely enjoyable.
Rating: 6.0/10
