Averkiou

The title track on this 7” is a fitting sound, given its title. “Wasted and High” has a pop structure run through the wash, and the fuzzy guitars and calm delivery of singer Matt Brink would fit under the shoegaze label. On “No One’s Holding a Gun to Your Head,” the band adds more harmony to Brink’s sleepy delivery. Meanwhile, the guitarists weave around each other’s pedal work while James Hernandez keeps things in order with a steady beat. The song is overshadowed by the a-side, but comes across much stronger than the bonus track that follows on the downloadable bonus. “Jersey” is an acoustic song that screams emo, with slipshod lyrics about how “Staying in love can be a bitch…and…You take and you take,” with backing “Oooo-ooo”s. The record would have been better off omitting this one completely.

5.1 / 10 — Loren