Drop EP

With a sound akin to that of mellower Basement tracks, PLASTIC’s new EP feels drenched with the sorrows of early adulthood. Matt Awbery’s melodic yet achingly throaty vocals intertwined with the dense, tar-like guitars facilitate an angst that sticks to the sides of your brain.

The first track, ‘Dirty Air’, is steady yet comforting, a cut-off point from the rest of the world into which you can throw all of your troubles. The record feels like walking home in the heart of winter following an unwinnable argument. But this is more than teenage angst. In ‘My Ashtray Mouth’, chasmic shouts reveal a deeper motive, a strong and tearing heartbreak fuelled by the frustration of human relationships. Arguably, the track is similar in terms of rhythm and the guitars feature as little variation as ‘Dirty Air’, but what it lacks in this sense it makes up for in structural deviation - the changing vocals alone are enough to keep the tracks separate and memorable. ‘Spiral’ tells instantly of Nirvana influences with an impactful intro, palm muted verse, and lyrics that melodiously hum of self-hatred.

The record in its entirety is quite typically emo. It checks every box for the genre’s conventions without a doubt, but despite this, it still manages to stand as a promising start to an exciting band’s career. The sound does require some refining: a little sharper on the shouted vocals, a little more spice in the guitar. But my emo personality enjoyed it, and that’s good enough for me.