Dead To Me – Little Brother

Over the past week or so I’ve been thinking about how the labels I grew up on have started failing me as of late. In my formative years of punk rock introduction there were basically three labels that formed my interpretation of what punk (or pop-punk) was. Each release they put out excited me and even before I heard it I knew I would love it. Now, just a few years later, the tides have turned. I’ve started dreading every single release from one of those labels and the other is only able to catchy my ears with one out of every five releases. It was a sad realization and one that’s been gnawing on me for some time. Fat Wreck Chords, however, have stayed consistent which leads me still feeling excited with each and every release they put out. Dead To Me‘s Little Brother is no different.

With just five songs Little Brother is a slightly unexpected follow-up to the band’s highly acclaimed debut album, Cuban Ballerina. But what they lack in length, they more than make up for with content. It’s five pop-punk songs delivered with a rough edges and Jack Dalrymple’s signature vocals. Sometimes they nod towards their label mates in American Steel but for the most part, Dead To Me have crated their own unique style and are sticking with.

The opening tracks, Don’t Wanna and Arrythmic Palpitations, start with that signature style. Pop-punk with some Alkaline Trio and American Steel influences. Diving power chords and polished but raw vocals help cement the song’s tone and energy. The title track, Little Brother, is where the band truly expands on their sound by adding a new element to it that really sparks as the Dead To Me sound. They slow the tempo down in the same way that The Loved Ones slowed down on Build & Burn and supplement the bratty pop-punk structure for some reggae elements and upstrokes. You can’t deny that the more up-tempo moments of the song carry it forward but it is the juxtaposition of the restrained aspects that make the song so memorable.

Ran That Scam is the signature Fat Wreck song of the album that merges lots of high-hats, punk progression and a dueling vocal harmony to really propel the song to the forefront of the album. Plus, there’s something about the opening lyrics (Somewhere there in between / The dirty sex and the faded jeans / I caught a glimpse of a man that I used to be / It scared the living shit out of me) that just sticks in your memory.

At only five songs, Little Brother leaves you desperately awaiting the band’s next release to hear more of the brash pop-punk. However, the fact that it is only five song also saves them from becoming slightly repetitive; a fault that hindered Cuban Ballerina a bit. This way, each song is able to stand out and survive.