While most listeners carry with them their own idea of what punk music should sound like, my guess is there would be significant overlap within the descriptions of those ideas. Adjectives like raw, rambunctious, fast, and noisy would be sure to spring up often; words which, incidentally, can be used to describe the debut single from new Atlanta trio SMALL, a cover of Blink-182’s “Dammit.”
Comprised of Samm Severin (guitar, vocals), Olive Lynch (accordion, backup vocals), and Jake Cook (drums), the threesome first met while doing stand up comedy. As conversations spread to outside talents and interests, they discovered they all had an affinity for ragged, stripped-back punk rock and decided to start a new project. In May, the group uploaded their debut release, The First EP, to Bandcamp, but have resisted sharing the record until now.
As the EP’s lead track, “(minor) dammit” sets an acerbic tone with fast-charging guitars and drums pushing frantically against Lynch’s droning accordion. Severin’s exasperated vocals swing between bitterness and spite as she outlines each bruising detail of a tattered relationship far beyond repair. Instrumentally, it’s a somewhat unconventional approach to the original’s relatively straightforward melodic punk, and the band’s scrappy intensity helps further the ante. Unfortunately, The First EP may mark the only time you’ll hear this particular iteration of the band as Lynch and Cook have relocated out of Atlanta and Severin is in the process of seeking out new members to fill out SMALL’s roster.
UPDATE: The original post failed to mention the track was a Blink-182 cover. We apologize for the error.
More Info
Bandcamp: smalltheband.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @smalltheband