Review Summary: ''You gotta write about what you know''
The video for ‘Christian Girls’ off of Single Mothers S/T Ep pretty much sums up everything the Canadian 5-piece are all about. The video takes place at a house show, with the band surrounded by friends and alcohol, everybody just rocking out and partying. Basically this band’s about having a really good time. The song itself is an absolutely great opener, with a little intro being played before exploding into a fast, loud and surprisingly catchy punk rock song. The song barely lets up for its 2 minute duration and by the last, drawn out scream, you’ll want a party of your own.
Unfortunately, the rest of the EP doesn’t reach the heights of brilliance that ‘Christians Girls’ does, although ‘Winter Coats’ comes close. The lyrics are good but don’t really deviate from girls, parties or hangovers. The best lyrics on the EP go to ‘Winter Coats’ which is a well told story about a clingy girl, with lines like ‘she kisses the way the good songs are sung/ And she thinks that she's special/ But she knows that I'm really only looking for some fun’. The lyrics get a bit samey after a while and a couple of different topics would have been nice, but in the context of the EP they work.
The production on the EP is a lot louder and grittier then their previous EP ‘Wild Party’ and the record is a lot better for it. The songs sound really heavy at points which make the instrumentals sound amazing, but works to the detriment of the vocals. Often the lead singer is struggling to be heard over the guitars, which results in him yelling all the time. This isn’t that bad as he isn’t a terrible vocalist but, like his lyrics, they get a bit repetitive. The production kind of reminds me of Loma Prietas ‘I.V’, especially the guitars, which is obviously a good thing.
Overall Single Mothers show a lot of potential in these four songs. With some refinement and less repetition, they could be a really great band. I think by the time they have an album, the little things that hold this EP back will have been sorted out and the party will be better than ever.
