Teen Mortgage is an American duo that specialises in making absolutely shredtastic music. Coming off of the success of their last single, Such is Life, the dynamic duo have released their latest EP, Smoked. The American outfit went through a bit of a dry spell during 2020, but have since risen from the other side. Spanning just over 15 minutes with 5 tracks, Smoked is an album that goes hardcore.
We begin the EP with Shangri-La. The track starts with an impeccable riff that makes me reminiscent of some good old Punk Rock. The amount of energy you feel from the track just breathes through you. I can’t help but think I’m listening to a track that Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols would probably be proud of. Shangri-La has a driving riff, kick-ass bass licks and drums that just keep you going. The vocals on the track, are loud, proud, and angry. I can’t help but reciprocate the sentiment.
The next track on the EP is the titular Smoked. The song kicks off with some feedback which immediately breaks into a lovely riff that has me wilding. The drums are as dynamic and loud as ever, keeping that rhythm section alive. The vocals are a lot more refined in Smoked. The whole track just has me thinking of Joy Division and Sex Pistols. I absolutely dig the melody line and what sounds like backing vocals that keep the chorus flying high. The guitar solo just speaks wonders about Teen Mortgage. I can, totally, see the duo shredding this track on stage for their live gigs.
Moving on to Ghost Girl, Teen Mortgage slows the pace down but keeps the noise turned up. I absolutely love the guitar work on this track. It makes me feel a lot freer to express myself. I find myself likening the track to Green Day fused with Joy Division. I absolutely love how loud and aggressive the track is. The distortion breathes life into the music that you just don’t hear these days. It’s almost like John Petrucci wrote some of these licks seeing how complicated they can be at times.
The penultimate track on this EP, Can I Live just has my heart. I absolutely love that the distortion never dies down. The drums are driving, the riffs; exciting. I really can’t help but think of a punk Johnny Rotten performing this track with Teen Mortgage. The track is absolutely sublime with some of the most interesting melody lines that make you want to scream your lungs off. The whole track absolutely slaps, reminding me of some of the better underground scenes you’ll probably hear.
Moving onto Valley, the ultimate track. Much slower to start off with, but it seems to set the tone for the end of the EP. Teen Mortgage catches you by surprise by turning down the distortion on this track. However, there’s a looming sense of angst with the guitar playing throughout the track. The vocals have you slowly moving along during the verse and chorus. Although, the instrumental picks up significantly during the chorus. Teen Mortgage manages to pull off the most dynamic track on the EP with such ease, it’s a shame that they’re not as big as they should be.
Don’t be the one to hold these guys back. I suggest you hop onto the Teen Mortgage wagon as soon as possible if you’re into the hardcore scene. I’d definitely want to see them play live. Speaking of, you can catch them along with Shred Flintstone at Kismet Garden at The Turk’s Inn if you’re in Brooklyn this week!
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Discovered via http://musosoup.com
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I listen to and make silly noises while analysing why people behave the way they do.
