This Place Sucks Ass EP - PUP: Review
is a Toronto based punk band who first received recognition on the back of their 2013 self-titled debut album. Since then the band has released two more records each of which received more attention than the last culminating in last years Morbid Stuff.
Review By Lavender:
While straight up punk rock isn't necessarily my go to genre for great music these days I have enjoyed each PUP album more than the last. Leading up to Morbid Stuff I still wasn't fully convinced of the bands merits but after hearing that record I have to say they are capable of rocking as hard as anybody around right now. After a single from this EP really impressed me I was pretty excited for the project, and while I think every song here is at least decent it is also clear that these are effectively Morbid Stuff B-Sides.
Rot was a great single and by far my favorite song of the bunch. It's a fiery pop punk rager from start to finish with a melodramatic chorus and short hooky guitar riffs that go perfectly alongside the snarling punk vocals. All around it's a great song and a great opener for the EP. Nothing Changes is my other favorite song here and one of the most pop punk moments in the bands career thus far. It has those slightly whiny vocal melodies that the genre is basically built on but it also brings some incredibly to the point and catchy songwriting up until the final minute of the song where the band really goes all out in a great way.
Most everything else here I think I can classify as decent but a tad underwhelming. Anaphylaxis is a song I missed earlier this year that takes a less catchy and more explosive punk edge. I think the way they explore the songs theme is hilarious and snarky I just wish the ham fisted bridge was better assembled and that they track has a little more to chew on instrumentally. A.M. 180 is a cover of a Granddaddy track that I'm loosely familiar with. You can definitely tell the track is a cover from the way it sticks out in the track list with a sugary lead guitar riff. Despite it not sounding like most of PUP's work I think they pull the song off decently and make for a moderately compelling rendition. Finally Floodgates features the snarligest punk vocals on the entire EP and the lyrics are filled with classic punk spite for symbolism of the status quo. I wish these vocals carried on into the hook and throughout the track because I really do think the instrumental has a lot of bite to it and I wish the vocals in the second half of the song matched.
This Place Sucks Ass is a decent EP with a selection of songs that aren't bad but mostly fail to go the extra mile. Even given that I think these songs are on the same level as many of the bands contemporaries and I am still very excited for what they do next. As far as this EP goes however I'm prepared to pick out a pair of my favorite tracks and leave the rest behind until it comes time for the bands 4th record. 5.5/10
Album Cover Review By Tyler Judson:
I like the comedy this cover has. It's not taking itself too seriously and is blatantly supposed to be funny and enjoyable rather than some other covers that mix in humor and end up failing. The illustration is reminiscent of older childrens cartoons and I really like the line quality and color palette. The text is also drawn which I appreciate because any mixture of digital text on top would've brought it down. 7/10
For more punk read my review of the new Idles album Ultra Mono here
