Reviews

Reta

Hayley and the Crushers Jacaranda / Angelyne 7″

This is sunshine in audio form. There’s only two tracks on this release, but they are destined to cheer up even the shittiest malaise of pandemic life. They describe themselves as “One part punk-pop, one part sunny surf, all poolside glitter trash,” and now having listened to them, this makes total sense. Songs are glitzy, ’80s synth inspired, with lots of bubblegum and a hint of power pop. Hayley has a strong singing voice and it’s like each word that comes out is surrounded by little hearts and beach balls. The only downside to this release is that I wish I could actually be blasting it outside with friends in the sun. Maybe if we all wear masks…

The Sorels Spring Break / Palo Santo 7″

When you present quality female-fronted pop punk to me, it can really only go one way. I’m a sucker for this shit. It’s my crack. Mid-tempo and super catchy, my head is bouncing around like it’s on autopilot. The B-side even has a certain ’70s catchiness to it. Let’s be clear about what this is and what it isn’t. It’s fun and it’s catchy and it’s easy and it’s well-done and it’s fun. I may have already mentioned that. It’s not going to challenge your perception of what music should be or break down other barriers. If this is your sort of thing, you’ll enjoy it. If it’s not your kind of thing, this isn’t going to change your mind about that. Take it for what it is. Put it on the turntable, turn up the volume, and sing like you think you know the words. Oh, and then crack a cold one.

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The Sorels Love Your Rock N’ Roll EP

I’m a sucker for female-fronted punk rock. In this case, the band is all-female. I’m a sucker for bubblegum punk. It’s almost a fault of mine. (Some would say I should remove the “almost” from the last sentence.) So, it was a given that I’d like this record. And I do like it, but I wouldn’t say that I love it. It’s got this ballad/doo wop/’50s feel that just isn’t my thing. Here’s a fun fact: they cover the band HELLO, who I’ve never heard of.