Surf Song

VINYL FORMAT. Tracks: "Surf Song" b/w "Concentration Camp." Limited to 1000 copies (500 black / 500 clear). "It's hardcore punk, with a produced giant sound. This is the big budget movie version of Black Flag. If Minor Threat was Red Dawn, classic and awesome (Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise!) then Cloak & Dagger is Die Harder, it's rooted in classic history, but updated. . . it's fast paced and things fly from the screen at your face. 'Surf Song' . . . is produced huge sounding completely punk. The only reference I have for anyone even like it is Fucked Up or Hot Snakes. It sounds completely loud: it's mixed loud, the vocals are fighting their way through layers of punchy distortion, the cymbals are practically the only quiet thing, which makes no sense. The vocals are a mix of yelled individual vocals and then at the chorus everyone chimes in. . . you know the deal. Not surf punk. . . post punk that's talking about surfing. 'Concentration Camp': More fullness, like every square inch of frequency is being occupied by some instrument. A couple of guitars it sounds like, phasing. The bass and kick are dominating the low end . . . Now in their defense it sounds like they mean it literally. They are concentrating and they happen to be in a camp; it's not the Nazi version. I could be reaching, but I know it's not the Nazi kind for sure. . . as punk as that can be, they are taking the higher road.

I've been comparing these tracks to their full length from a couple years ago and I have to say it, they are kind of giving into their pop side - this is very Hot Snakes - who I always felt like they were just doing what they wanted, not really trying to please anyone in particular, what was fun to play, to record. The songs are the same length, the speed is there, the instrumentation; it just ends up being a little softer (wow, is that ok to say?) not as angular, abrasive. There are melodies now I keep wanting to go back to." - 7inches.blogspot.com