Review: The Humors - "Bleeding Edge"

The Humors - Bleeding Edge

(Self-Released 2014)

Though nostalgia is the norm these days in the indie scene, there has been a surprising dearth of bands that emulate the sound of late 70's punk rock. It's strange that such a gap exists, as the eras surrounding the age of The Clash and The Ramones are major centers of attention and inspiration as of late. Burger Records and Gnar Tapes alone release hundreds of tapes reminiscent of 60's garage rock and fuzzy psychedelia per year, and both 80's hardcore and new-wave have experienced a recent revival as of late thanks to labels like Captured Tracks and Grave Mistake. Punk distilled into its purest form, however, is hard to come by. On their new EP, Bleeding Edge, Boston quartet The Humors set out to fill this void, providing three tracks that give a crunchier take on the shambolic sound of The Libertines, with punk/pop hooks on par with those of the Buzzcocks.

Bleeding Edge darts right out of the gates with its strongest track, "Million Things". Machine gun fire cymbals accompany a razor-sharp guitar riff, starting the listener out with a jolt of pure pop energy. The vocals scratch against the canvas of sound, adding to wonderful abrasiveness that pervades the song. At a minute and forty-five seconds, this track does not overstay its welcome. After two short verses and a chorus, "Million Things" does its job, (quite well, I might add), packs a few impressive flourishes into twenty seconds, and packs up its things. Songs that balance memorability and humility tend to be my favorites, ad this one is no exception.

"Bleeding Edge" is another great tune, this one the longest on the EP. It's carried by the buoyancy of its gurgling bass riff, allowing the vocals more space to work with. The guitar is not neglected on this cut, though, exploding into a brilliant shower of tinny, spiraling fuzz. Bleeding Edge may not be the most innovative rock release of the year, but it certainly may be one of the catchiest.

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