Hands Like Bricks – EP II

Hands Like Brick’s latest release, EP: II, is the kind of record that gets placed on the turn table when you’ve called of a group of friends and are ready to pop open a can of beer. It’s fun and energetic, touching on subjects that remain relevant to youth and their everyday lives.

“We Made This Mess” is far from apologetic, starting off with a 15-second audio clip of band members reveling over the possibility of “getting lucky” at a Punk club. With all humor set aside, the track leads into a tumultuous account that details confusion and meltdown.

Leaning heavily toward an alternative punk sound, Hands Like Bricks are blunt in delivery and for that reason will keep fans on their trail. They steer away from meaningless metaphors and instead provide circumstances relevant to the situations and events regularly faced by their local Los Angeles and online fan base.

It is often thought that album artwork alludes to the content within, but not so much in this case. The cover appears to be an inside joke (that we may just never understand) or a random fusion of photos. It depicts two dinosaurs dressed in robes, hunched over their walkers like old, decrepit creatures. While band members may get a kick out of its purpose, if in fact there is one, the translation seems lost in the mix.

EP: II consists of six tracks, all of which are an average of two minutes in length. The songs are long enough to get into, yet short enough that listeners are apt to press “repeat.” This is especially true for the fifth track “Disappear,” which conjures up a feeling of recklessness through the straight ahead rock ‘n’ roll vibe of guitars and grueling vocals.

Over time the band has seemed to evolve into a more “serious” garage act, meaning their musicality and recording quality has improved over the ten-month span between the releases of their first demo until now. That being said, they still possess the same underground element that most DIY bands strongly value.

This EP remains highly recommended material for fans of the underground punk scene.

It’s available for preview and download HERE

 

-Breanna Fields-
Big Wheel Contributor
 

 

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