Review
Safety
Greetings From the Sunshine State

Jetsam-Flotsam (2021) Loren

Safety – Greetings From the Sunshine State cover artwork
Safety – Greetings From the Sunshine State — Jetsam-Flotsam, 2021

Safety are far from a new band, but they’re new me. Heck, Greetings From the Sunshine State even sounds like a debut album title. Anyway, the band has been kicking since the early 2000s – which actually explains a few of the sonic comparisons I’ll make in this review of their new EP and first release since 2015’s released Congratulate Me, I’ve Lost My Mind .

To get to the core of Safety’s sound, start with a base of emo-punk a la Braid or Small Brown Bike. That emotion is central to their sound, but the energy is largely relayed through a more post-punk and somewhat indie vibe akin to Cursive or The Hotelier. The faster songs have an extra bounce to them with quirky, intricate guitar/bass interplay. The slower songs are structured around emotive drama that draws more from the early emo scene. While the band is from Florida, it has a Midwest tone. There are two vocalists: one with a shouty style fitting of post-punk, the other with more of an emo tone.

“Post-punk,” besides being a silly genre name, doesn’t really say much on its own. Safety show a lot of similarities to where that scene was in the early ‘00s: quick turns-of-direction but more fluid, less angular hooks. Marry that sound with dramatic emo-tinged punk that bellows lyrics like “Who is this stranger dressed in my clothes?” or “For you and me/ It’s Halloween/ forever.” There is an element of contrast in the band that is highlighted by the two different vocal styles. The interplay defines this EP, sometimes working nicely in tandem but sometimes they don’t align particularly well.

The more energetic, varied songs, “Songs of the Night Gator” and “Heat Lightning,” bookend the EP and showcase the band’s potential. Imagining a live show, these are the tunes where you’d be bouncing and watching the stage attentively, while the middle three tunes are more of the head nodding variety. Those middle tracks are ultimately penned around their lyrical strength, utilizing dramatic vocals and emotional pull rather than structural progressions. As I beat the “emo” reference to the ground here, the band nicely switches the POV from tradition, coming from a worried-about-others POV instead of the tired you-hurt-me angle. It draws influence from a lot of those traditional bands, but the end product sounds much more mature.

To be pretty blunt, this just isn’t really my scene. I appreciate it, but it hits me as middle-of-the-road. Anyone into the band’s mentioned will likely get more out of this EP than I do.

7.0 / 10Loren • March 23, 2021

Safety – Greetings From the Sunshine State cover artwork
Safety – Greetings From the Sunshine State — Jetsam-Flotsam, 2021

Related features

Safety

One Question Interviews • April 26, 2021

Related news

"Safety" from ISLEPTONTHEMOON

Posted in Records on September 21, 2024

Recently-posted album reviews

Between the Buried and Me

The Blue Nowhere
Inside Out (2025)

Between The Buried And Me are seasoned vets to the progressive metalcore, electronic, prog (whatever other genre they bend) scene and continue to drop album after album. Their career started back in 2000 from the ashes of one of the greatest metalcore bands of all time (in my humble opinion), Prayer For Cleansing. As the band has progressed over the … Read more

The Beths

Straight Line Was A Lie
Anti (2025)

Dear Beths, Congratulations on the new release. I’ve been reflecting on our relationship and, as I’ve recently started to write about music again, have been asked to share my thoughts with you. First and foremost, I want to say that this isn’t easy for me. I cherish your album Future Me Hates Me from 2018. The title track alone is … Read more

East End Redemption

Crashing Down
Independent (2025)

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 … Read more