Album Review: Singing Lungs – Phone From Car

Singing Lungs are a four piece out of Michigan, playing a brand of 90’s punk that has its own grounded rough at the edges style, a style that should get so much more air play than all the polished too smooth at the edges commercial output that gets all the backing from the media.

To that end, this EP was written and recorded during lock down on the bands iPhones, a move that when listening not only brings a sense of story to the tunes, but also shows the determination to bring life to the music. 

Kicking off the EP is ‘Come Down Hard’, now hearing this was a bit of a take me back personally, couldn’t get two bands out of my head that just personified the sound and lyrical style for myself, the first a huge stadium band from their early days, the second a band that I would buy this EP for anyone that has heard of them, see if you can guess which is which, The Halfcuts & The Foo Fighters.  Singing Lungs is a perfect name for a band that has a vocal output that just has you singing along and feeling that even though you may sound bad, it doesn’t matter at all. 

‘100 Dollar Guitar’ follows up with the same raw beauty that is the core of this four track slice of life,  simplistic tunes that don’t thrash around trying to do anything else except mirror life for so many ordinary people. Singing about the world that has unfolded from a personal perspective, frustrations, relationships and the need to express yourself, its a pure treat to the ears to from start to finish.  

The final two tracks come way to fast and leave you wanting so much more, ‘Present Tense’ with its punk guitar riffage and up tempo beat, then the stunning ‘Walking Away’ which especially gives you the what is the one thing that keeps you glued to this band, the passion and emotion that is Jason Kotarski’s vocal, so natural and so full of pure love for what he does, it comes across so perfectly here.

Punk Rock played in a no nonsense sing your heart out way, that leaves you wanting more of the same, and after listening to the previous releases, its seems clear that this less produced and raw sound is a direction that suits these guys so well.

Out July 17th via Count Your Lucky Stars Records

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