Local three-piece punk band Science Club recently released a four song EP entitled Ska to follow up their full-length album, Day Job. The band blends old-school speed with more modern pop punk aesthetic, and does so with honest songs that are full of catchy melodies and a confused sense of purpose.
Overall, Ska follows suit with Science Club’s knack for writing upbeat songs that are made out of a mess of emotions. The lyrics are upset and angry, but are delivered a quirky attitude that makes them feel pretty endearing. The lead-track, “The Lord Will Have His Terrible Vengeance,” churns through different breakneck speeds while the lyrics revel in disparate emotion , “Zach asked ‘why’re you afraid all the time?,’ I said ‘if you’re not, you must be out of your fucking mind’ / I subscribe to a theory of strings, one simple snag can unravel fucking everything.” The catchy delivery of melodic woahs makes the chorus a standout moment on the EP, and a fast guitar solo wraps up the song playfully.
Like Day Job, this new collection of songs seem to take negative feelings in stride by playing fun music. Ska contains some even more heated words, like “I am burning with a hate so pure, it’ll never go away,” but the release still feels upbeat through its instrumentation. Another great mix of those torn-up feelings and forward momentum comes on “Punk Rock is None of my Business.” The song quickly blares in turmoil, riding a notably bobbing bass riff, while vocalist Nate Adams shouts “keep eating youth, see how far it can get you!” in an infectious chorus. The track goes through a raging instrumental section, before circling back to its rapidly-sung, downtrodden beginning lines, “there are no ghosts here, there are just bones here / bodies at rest and well-wishers wishing their best / for the friends that they miss because everyone’s dead.”
Overall, the EP describes feeling beat and forgotten through a mix of regret and anger, and some of the most revealing lyrics come on “Bad Friend Shuffle.” Adams admits an inclination towards isolation, shouting “I’ll be waiting on my phone to die,” but adds in some more humorous lines to lighten the mood, “When you call, I’m not there at all, I’m down on the couch with chicken fingers and breadsticks.” Overall, Science Club’s Ska lives up to Day Job’s pop punk sound and honest sensibilities, and takes some of the band’s fed-up emotional cues a step further.
Stream Ska below and download on bandcamp.
Image via Facebook.
PhillyPunk 