No Context - Fragments - EP

No Context

​Fragments - EP
self-released; 2017

​3.6 out of 5

By Ryan Ansel

Long Island rock band No Context released their debut EP Fragments independently in March. The EP is comprised of four punk rock songs that each approach self-empowerment, and the struggle to find it, in different ways.

Though this is the band’s first project, their passion is evident and their style is consistent and focused. The songs are very guitar-heavy with the drums typically taking the backseat to hard strumming and colorful vocals provided by bassist Matias Morales and rhythm guitarist Billy Treglia. 

The songs are very lively and are characterized by their catchy hooks. The fiery chorus, “Keep coming, keep running, I don’t want to feel this anymore,” on the opening track “Drain” was one of my favorite moments on the EP. It started the project off with a lot of energy and emotion which I think are good traits to have as a band on the punkier side of the spectrum.

The entire EP was recorded at Treglia’s home in New York, mixed and mastered by the band as a whole. The homemade aspect of the project gives it an edgy, lo-fi element that true punk fans will enjoy. Keeping that in mind, there are some points on the EP where you can’t totally decipher the lyrics because the vocals are too buried under the instruments. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though, if you’re looking to listen to something different and interesting.

Another interesting note to make is the unique mastering of the drums. They sound pretty soaked in reverb, providing a shoegazing aspect to the songs. While it makes the songs seem to fill more space, I found myself wanting more power from the percussion at points.

“To Be Told,” opens with a math rock-styled riff in the opening seconds, followed by a sick breakdown made possible by distorted guitars, a fat bass line and thumping kick drums. I like that the band incorporates melodic elements into their sound and their rock isn’t reliant on grungy power chords.

This project is a solid start to a potentially successful run for this band. I think that if the group gets hold of a professional recording studio and continues pouring their hearts into their songs, then we could be seeing a lot more of No Context in the future.

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