EP Review: Celebration Summer – Against The Gun EP

Washington DC, synonymous with hardcore, is home to Celebration Summer who have just released their debut EP ‘Against The Gun’ via Sunderland’s Little Rocket Records. Forming through a message board, the band features drummer Glenn Boysko and guitarist Dan Hauser, both formerly of the DC band Confidence Man and notable ska side project The Captivators. They joined bassist Greg Raelson in his quest to capture the essence of the late 80’s/early 90’s melodic punk rock he grew up on.

About opener, and lead single ‘Bitter End’, vocalist and guitarist Nate Falger says that it “explores the challenge of being open with someone you love when it could hurt them..it’s meant to convey that it’s easier to be honest and true with the person you love than not have them at all.”  (Lyric video HERE) Underneath the sincere declarations, the band sticks to a straightforward but solid template of brash, ringing chords, underpinned by sturdy bass runs and compact drumming, and glazed with Falger’s gravelly delivery. It coalesces neatly to create a kind of ‘blue collar’ feel – no frills; something pure about the songwriting..almost naïve..

‘I Don’t Want To Be A Burden’ and ‘My Devotion’ follow suit, the titles alone announcing the exploration of relationships, be it with people (“I know that I don’t say the things that I should..” ) music (“..listen to Black Flag / ‘Out Of Step’ ‘til the day I die..”) or mortality (“time moves slow..life goes on..”)  ‘Against The Gun’ itself closes out the EP. At over 6 minutes, there’s no real deviation from the formula, except Falger’s commentary seems to focus more on paranoia “They look at me they know all I’ve done wrong..They take me for a fool, they hate me..” – A sentiment echoed in the EP’s artwork? In the band’s moniker – a nod to punk’s ‘Revolution Summer’ of 1985 that took place in Washington? In these strange, Trump-era times?

Like your punk rock authentically raw and gutsy? ‘Against The Gun’ is available through Little Rocket Records. Celebration Summer have Facebook and Instagram pages to follow.