Good Grief - Punx Not Dead

Good Grief

Punx Not Dead
self-released; 2015

3.5 out of 5

By B Parker

Good Grief’s release Punx Not Dead opens with “Don't Call Me Shirley,” which itself opens with that famous Airplane! quote setting the carefree and gung-ho attitude of Punx Not Dead. Think punk-pop with shades of grunge and you'll get the basic sound of this EP in a nutshell. There are lots of big chords and squealing guitars, sudden thrashing and leaps from near whispers to shouting.

“See You Later, Space Cowboy” has some emo leanings to it, telling the story of some great goodbye, but thankfully the band is more concerned with making noise than making you feel bad. It's more like a rambunctious party as a result.

“Track 27” is a bit of a reprieve from punk, a quiet sort of love song that still has a bit of humor to it. Immediately after that the track “What Are We Holding Onto” has had a serious change of attitude, kicking off with an almost tribal beat, asking you to “just walk away” before diving back into the usual punk offerings. It keeps itself subdued until it reaches the choruses, which sound much more angry and somewhat desperate.

The point being that fans of late ‘90s punk will find a lot here to their liking. There's a fair amount of dabbling in other genres but Good Grief never strip themselves of punk rock entirely. At least one track should appeal to you regardless of what subgenre you make your home in. 

That being said, the punk attitude also applies to the production and recording, which may prove difficult for some to decipher. Recorded at home, there's a layer of fuzz to the EP, which does wonders for guitars but hinders the vocals somewhat. Still, the emotion conveyed in the vocal performances was enough for me to get enjoyment from. Maybe more regular punk fans than I will have no problem with it at all.

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