Step Sisters’ EP is four kick-ass tracks
Last week I did a feature on a very interesting band: Step Sisters. This week I’ll be taking a closer look at their self-titled debut EP. There are four tracks, which to my ear were expertly chosen to represent the dynamic range of the band.
“Vox Pop” starts off with an explosion of sound and a manic guitar riff before settling down into the throbbing bass and drums of the verses and then exploding again into the chorus. There is a late-’70s retro feel to the tune, one that was revisited in the ’90s. Whichever angle the guys were shooting for, they wound up with a high-energy ass-kicker of a song.
“Easy Sleazy” opens with a menacing, militaristic intro (reminiscent of Nazareth in their heyday) before absolutely bursting out of the gate with a high-octane guitar riff that itself gives way to urgent, almost manic verses.
Track three (“Witness”) veers into some different territory, evoking the sound of The Damned or Robyn Hitchcock. Still a high-energy tune, it has elements of psychedelia and goth as well that taken together make for a very interesting listen.
The EP finishes up with a glorious wall of sound called “Dumb Love.” This, more than any other, is the tune that reminded me of Weezer at their very best and was part of the reason I dubbed the band “Prog Pop.” I stand by that designation, but I feel like I need to add that there is clearly a strong dose of punk throughout all of the music of the Step Sisters.
Another band trying to combine these elements could easily make one hell of a mess, but Step Sisters has come up with musical gold, penning tunes that are almost too clever and edgy for the radio, yet still manage to maintain enough crossover potential to be commercial chart-toppers.