Rating: 8/10
By Alex Salisbury
‘THICK’ is the third EP released by the female punk trio of the same name hailing from New York and their début release since signing with legendary punk label Epitaph Records.
This eponymous three-track EP is a perfect microcosm of the THICK sound. Punchy punk, melodic shoegaze and sing-a-long Riot Grrrl anthems for a new generation of women trying to break the cycle of patriarchal control, a combination they have come to describe as ‘girlwave’.
The band have an acute knack for producing catchy tracks that will get stuck in your head for days, ‘Your Mom’ from this release being a prime example. Coming in at only one-and-a-half minutes it slaps you round the chops from the off, grabbing you with it’s straight-to-the-point, Ramones-esque opening chords.
The song, described by the band as “a tirade against all the things your mom said you could or couldn’t do” is a big middle-finger to all those parents that tried to stand in the way of your dreams or tell you how you should be living your life. Be that your career choices, your sexual orientation or how much alcohol you consume.
Opener ‘So Sick’ is a ‘point-and-laugh’ piece on fashion punks, people trying to project a certain lifestyle from their aesthetic choices, rather than their mentality or attitude. For THICK, emerging from the huge New York DIY scene, realness and authenticity is key, posers will clearly be exposed for being just that.
‘Green Eyes’, the EP closer, although still driven by the drums, is a switch in sound compared to the other two tracks on offer here. Layered guitars, twisting, interlaced dreamy vocals and themes of the frustration of a partner projecting their emotional baggage onto you.
For fans of female fronted punk or shoegaze this EP is a must listen, and if it’s an indication of what we can expect from the début THICK album, then we’re in for a treat when it finally drops.
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