EP Review: Mikey Erg – Bon Voyage

Mikey Erg really shouldn’t need any introduction, but just in case you’ve been living in a cave or have been in a long term coma, he’s been in enough bands to populate a festival line up, including The Dopamines, Star Fucking Hipsters, Dirt Bike Annie, Slow Death, Pale Angels, Worriers and obviously The Ergs!. However, more recently Mikey has been focusing on his solo career, the four track “Bon Voyage” EP is his latest solo effort, one that somewhat unexpectedly features alternative country singer Lydia Loveless, that follows up on his “Waxbuilt Castles” full length that was released last year via Don Giovanni Records.

The EP’s title track launches itself straight out of the traps, the former frontman of The Ergs! is joined by Lydia Loveless on a sub two minute blast of hi-tempo hi energy pop punk, with the emphasis firmly on the latter part of the coupling, the second instalment of the A-side is ‘The New Departure Blues‘, a track that is an unmistakably Ergish hit of driven punky power pop. The flipside of the “Bon Voyage” EP follows that same format as the A-Side with ‘Colleen‘, 96 seconds of buzzsaw punk rock, which also sees the return of Lydia Loveless, that is followed by the final cut on the EP, ‘Mother Nature’s Son‘, that sees Mikey Erg revving up a cut from The Beatles‘ “White Album“.

Pop punk has become a term that has become a much maligned genre in recent years, mainly due to the proliferation of band’s that are trying to be turn of the millennium Blink-182, but scratch that assumption as Mikey Erg has been there, done that and in all probability sold you the t-shirt. The “Bon Voyage” EP is a heartfelt love letter to the pop punk releases that inspired Mikey Erg, you get the impression that Erg hasn’t stretched himself on this release and has just done what he loves, and you can’t help but love him for it, anyone for Erg Fest?