Who would’ve thought that from the land of lobsters and blueberries, you’d find a punk band? East End Redemption is a four-piece band that brings their flavor of punk from Portland, Maine to the masses with their eleven song, debut full-length album, Crashing Down. They mix elements of skate punk, power pop, and even hints of hardcore punk.
The band mixes fast tempos, melodic hooks, and a youthful energy despite being self-proclaimed middle-aged, old punks. The debut has a melodic grit that is heard in the vocals and songwriting. The lyrics are poignant and deal with everyday life whether it’s about better times in the scene, mistakes made, or dealing with people.
They claim to be “non-pioneering punk”, which is a bit demeaning if you ask me, but I get it. I’m also in my 40s and play in a punk band, so it definitely resonates with me. If the formula isn’t broken why change it? For being stationed all the way over on the east coast, they have a definite west coast influenced sound. Fast anthems that are melodic and hook-driven encompass this release. I love the tight, start/stop punk tracks that range from fast to midtempo. The harmonizing background vocals really step it up as well on the choruses.
The production is great for an independent release too. Sometimes you expect lower quality when it’s not on a label, but this isn’t the case. This would gladly be released by any small to midsized indie label without them requesting a new mix. The icing on the cake that really sets it apart is the mastering done by Jason Livermore at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado. If you aren’t familiar with their work, it’s owned and operated by Jason and Bill Stevenson (Descendents, ALL, and Black Flag).
My favorite three tracks on here would have to be “Obey”, “Insomnia”, and “Lacking Motivation”. If you’re into bands like Pennywise, The Queers, and The Ataris then you need to hop onto the EER train. I always love coming across new bands that don’t have a huge following yet. You get to see the band grow and progress into something bigger and grow as musicians. Find and support smaller bands and show them to your friends. I’m excited to see what the next steps and release is for East End Redemption.
