Review Summary: White boy reggae never sounded so good.
IllScarlett is a punk band from Mississauga, Ontario Canada. EPdemic is the bands first EP and first release to receive any widespread attention. The first four tracks were previously recorded for their debut release, "Clearly In Another Fine Mess".
"First Shot" kicks off the EP and sets the tone for the bands sound. It starts off with a groovy reggae riff and quickly picks up into a full throttle, ska-punk attack. As is expected with any Reggae infused Punk band, hints of Sublime are scattered all over the place. The sound the band achieves sounds more like they hang out in Miami instead of the great white north in which the members reside. "Heaters" is the second song and slows down the tempo a little bit and would be the perfect song to smoke a joint to, while laying on a grassy hill in the summertime.
You will have now noticed that the albums tempo is mostly kept at a fairly slow level, but every now and then the band moves into ska-punk territory as with "Not A Prophecy" where they are at their most aggressive. But the two songs that are best representative of the EP's sound are "Mary Jane", which sounds like classic Sublime, and "One-A", which is perfect for a chilled drinks session with your friends, where you just wanna relax and drink a couple of beers before going to the party later on.
EPdemic features a nice mix of electric and acoustic instruments and even a couple bong hits during "Mary Jane." The lyrics are centred around girl troubles, friendship, making music in general and the use of cannabis. (Which should be expected) The EP showcases the band at their full potential despite the fact they seem to have gone downhill in their more recent releases. It's a perfect summertime CD to invest in for next year.
