Low Morale – “This Planet Sucks” EP Review

Low Morale ‘s recent EP, “This Planet Sucks” is both reminiscent and unique

Low Morale , a melodic punk rock band from Cleveland, OH, released their new EP This Planet Sucks February 10th of this year. There are only three songs on the EP, but they are tasty enough to leave you wanting more.

The first song, “Ripper”, starts out with a great groovy bassline. At times on this EP, it seems like the bass might actually be more audible than the guitar, and I really like that it’s clear. It is reminiscent of old-school punk, reminding me of Descendents and early Green Day, mixed with newer pop-punk like Alkaline Trio.

“Tomb Stoned” is a pretty happy-sounding song on the surface but has darker, ruminating lyrics concerning relatable struggles. Throughout the whole EP, the lyrics are relatable but not too basic or cliche, as a lot of newer pop-punk bands’ lyrics unfortunately tend to be. I can tell they put thought into them and have really felt the emotions behind them.

The vocals could use some fine-tuning. The vocal style fits with the music; however, their attempt at rougher/punk vocals comes off a little too growl-y and forced, and pitchy at times. Overall it sounds okay but I think it could be improved with more practice.

I like how “Young & Expiring” is a slower groove than the other two, while still being a jam. I like how the verses flow in and out of the minimal bass and hi-hat to the hard-hitting crashes and ripping guitars.

In this song, there is also an alien-like guitar before the bridge. I really do like the bridge and the different guitar effects/distortion used, which compliment each other. However, that particular guitar sounded a little off-key. I think it was intentional, but if they were going for a unique sound, they should’ve really committed to it and amped it up more so that its uniqueness was more prominent.

I think this EP would be great to experience live, because it has a DIY punk show vibe. It’s fast-paced and fun.

Overall, I think this EP shows Low Morale ‘s unique combination of influences; however, I think they could show off their uniqueness more by honing in on exactly what sound they want to convey. I enjoyed this EP and with some fine-tuning, I think they have a lot of potential.

Listen to Low Morale’s EP “This Planet Sucks” on Spotify, YouTube, and SoundCloud!

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Noelle Matonis

Host & Producer of Pop-Punk & Pizza