Bottler – Smithereens

Disconnect Disconnect Records‘ newest signee, London’s Bottler, are set to put out their first 5 song EP, Smithereens, mid-march.

Reminiscent of Alkaline Trio, listeners can expect witty lyrics sung to catchy melodies that will stick in your head and keep you awake all night— exactly what a pop punk band’s mission should be. Smithereens feels a bit rough around the edges—especially the overly distorted guitar which sounds like it’s been turned up to 11;  regardless, the lack of polish does not get in the way of fun.

The central theme is about re-invention, struggling to rise from the ashes of bands who have been long forgotten and start over with a new band. The first song in Smithereens, “Ex-members,” begins this journey. It is here that Bottler claims that this isn’t their first time on the merry-go-round, and they make that clear with the lyric “we are the ex-members of the bands you never knew and we will never give it up.” A song about yearning and fighting for stage life and the limelight, Ex-Members starts the album of strongly before seguing into “Ready, Willing, Able,” a song about the hardships of life and all its demands. The highlight of this EP is the title track “Smithereens;” bursting in with fast-paced guitars and sorrowful lyrics about the passage of time, exclaiming that they are “drifting by living somebody else’s life.”

Bottler states on their Facebook page: “If you ever wore a Fat Wreck Chords shirt… then you know where we are coming from.” Indeed. If there is one critique, it’s that there’s not much in the way of innovation here. Then again, why screw with a good thing?