Captain Trips

Stand By EP

Written by: MAK on 27/12/2018 16:48:18

Ever just been taken aback by the live performance of a band? Fareham-based punk four-piece, Captain Trips has grabbed my attention two years in a row with stellar sets at Dugstock. Unleashing catchy skate punk anthems topped off by the most killer shredding hooks for a punk band that doesn’t seem to dabble in hardcore or heavy music as such. Since my first taste of Captain Trips, I became somewhat hooked to the rawness of their EP, self-titled EP from 2016, eager to hear more than the handful of tracks at my disposal. Enter “Stand By”, another mere handful of hooking skate punk anthems to keep me going for the meantime.

“Bottom of the River” comes in with a more polished, somewhat catchier and more mainstream approach from Captain Trips than anything from the previous EP. This is a more professional sound, the shredding riffs are there, but more underlying for the most part. The melodies shine more, and vocalist Rich Mayor’s voice is more powerful than any of the vocals on any previous recordings, providing us with vocals that sound a bit like Nikola Sarcevic of Millencolin. The tempo is high, the tone is punchy, and it has the angst of the live band to a degree. It’s not until the final track, “Siren Song” that we really get that same live performance oomph, and shredding riffs that really hooked me in. There are elements of this, in “Chances” specifically where the distorted hooks push through with some technical riffs. However, I was expecting more of the harder hitting Captain Trips I recognised from live performances that were on previous recordings.

Where this EP really pulls you in with the snappier delivery, the melodious characteristics, and the ear-pricking lead guitar hooks, these songs are much catchier for the most part compared to the self-titled release, especially “You’re The Voice”. This is the absolute stand out song with the “whoooahh” chants and infectious chorus rhythms. The melody remains in your head for so long and has the ability to be part of people’s punk playlists for years to come.

Captain Trips are up there as one of the better live bands in UK’s DIY punk scene right now, and I think this EP was expected to grab you by the throat harder than it has. These are some solid songs, emulating some of the punchy nature that makes the Fareham band stand out against similar acts, it has a couple of outstanding songs for sure. The last two tracks on the EP, in particular, are the exact thing we expect from the band, a nice blend of catchy anthems, and more angst-ridden influences. This EP just lacked a little bit of edge that the band has when they perform live, maybe it was just a little too polished sounding in production and needed to be given more of a rawness to it.

7

Download: You're The Voice, Siren Song
For The Fans Of: Millencolin, Fastfade, Spoilers
Listen: facebook.com

Release date 05.10.2018
Umlaut Records

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