Turf Wars
The Great Escape EP
Secret People
Rock out, dudes! This quickie four-track is brimming with rock and roll energy, upbeat chords, and an early Springsteen infectiousness that makes me want to pay for downtown parking and see them at some little back street club. A touch of country informs “Pay My Dues,” “Still Around” rocks with lost girlfriend energy and the post-high-school-snottiness we all aimed for, and title closer “Great Escape” laments the misery of small town nothingness. We all know starving in Los Angeles or Atlanta is better than starving in West Armpit, Nevada, because there’s a better bar scene in the big city and you can starve around more interesting people. It’s hard to say if these five guys can blast through to greatness, but John Robinson (lead / vocal) shows promise as a pop songwriter and raw-edged vocalist.
There’s a novelty aspect to this release; they’re doing a limited-edition cassette tape, and assuming the batteries in mom’s Walkman haven’t corroded, it should sound Lo-Fi Cool. I’m all about old school vinyl, but cassettes are one step above 8 tracks and you don’t see John Colton doing cassettes. Whatever format you love best, this EP is a worthy contribution to your cruising mix tape.
Turf Wars: turfwarusa.bandcamp.com
