Like Bats, "Look On the Bright Side"

Like Bats
“Look on the Bright Side” (EP)
(Traffic Street)

(****/5)

Like Bats, recent Totally Crushed Out interviewees and midwest pop-punk wunderkinds, are on roll with their latest 7” on Traffic Street, “Look on the Bright Side.” Like last year’s self-titled demo, Like Bats runs through four great songs at a rapid rate starting off with the rambunctious title track.

Obviously on a short release, especially if you’re a fan, you’re naturally going to gravitate on every song; I found the off-time “Pop Tops” to be an excellent standout track in its own right, only because it plays with such an odd time signature midway.

“Bright Side” still takes the heavy lovelorn thematic nature of their earlier recordings, but the lyrics hit much harder and honestly, particularly on the record’s closer, “Chest Pains” when Mike belts out, “I don’t feel so secure anymore.”

Make no mistake, though. All the songs on this EP slay and I dare someone to find a catchier tune than “3814 Wirth Road;” I just wished it was a three or four songs longer.

-- Ryan Pangilinan