Led by vocalist Dylan Jackson, Seattle-based punk rock band Fake Hands is putting both feet forward for their debut self titled EP! Reincarnating the 90s grunge native to Seattle (among its spiritual successors its legacy left behind), Fake Hands doesn’t hold back any punches on its studio debut!
With scratchy, sporadic, guitars, and in and out raging pulses, Coming Through encapsulates the attitude of a stubborn ox. Determined to make an impact to the listener, we’re off on an adrenaline ride with only one destination. I love the switch ups between the verses and chorus that alternate between zany solo vocal deliveries and more honed in group shouts reminiscent of Rage Against the Machine and even a bit of Talking Heads Remain in Light album.
Second Chances swoops in like a mosquito flying over head. The anxiety and confusion help justify the groove unleashing rage with vocals that exclaim the turmoils society has imposed on the Everyman. Though the chorus of the song strangely reminds me of Whip It by Devo (not that I’m complaining).
Thudding in with low grit, the bass on Straight and Narrow gives us the feeling of a disconnected rehab. The bridge changing paces feels like a meltdown that shows nothing is working, no matter how hard the self-conscious tries otherwise. If Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Sex Pistols ever crossed paths, this is what they’d sound like.
In Case of Fire has this nice binary between on and off sounding the loud alarm alerting the class of an emergency. Trogdor would eat his dragon-man heart out listening to this short but impactful banger.
The Arctic Monkeys having a heart attack emerge through I Want Out. Having a melodic chorus to contrast the surfing riffs, this song shows you a wide range of gears the band is capable of achieving. But the cherry on top has to be the System of a Down-esqe waltz ending representing a three act structure of internal demise.
Closing out this assortment of songs with a wall of sound, Trash Tan platforms a fanatic cult leader demanding orders over riffs channeling Tom Morello. As the music continues to intensify with passionate screams, the vocalist losses all sanity, the EP slowly decelerates like a wind up toy vanishing into nothing.
This display of music shows a great start for the band. The record takes a variety of influences that I’ve noted throughout the review and merge them in a way that doesn’t feel forced. It’s also an accessible listen to people within the 90s/2000s rock community because of that. However, I’m skeptical that successor studio releases may fall flat or be too similar to this fundamental foundation. However, if Fake Hands play their cards right, they might lead or be apart of a new decade reviving the golden age of alternative rock!
8/10