PKEW PKEW PKEW (gunshots) – Royalty

Thanks to the amateurish cover and band name of PKEW PKEW PKEW (gunshots), I almost let an unlikely gem pass me by.  Their debut EP, Royalty, is a curious piece to be sure, but one that thrives on every peculiar note and odd intension.  The Toronto quintet is somewhat of a modern day Violent Fems, only with a heavy noise and garage rock influence.

An eclectic collection of interesting sounds, tempos, beats, and ideas, Royalty springs to life with an experimental vigour.  The band starts off with the off-kilter acoustic opener “Friends Don’t Let Friends Move In With Girlfriends.”  With every member contributing their own off key, out of tune vocals; the song plods along with a wholehearted sentiment that “friends don’t let friends move in with girlfriends,” and that “she’ll have to understand, that we love him too.”  The Rockband (video game) referencing “Asshole Pandemic” follows suit, this time dialling up their amps for a heavy dose of fuzz at speaker blowing proportions, perfectly capturing the nature of the noise complaint-based song as the band chimes in “I can hear you two floors down/This is a building.”

The rest of the EP rounds out with the jangly, organ touting “Demille Bop,” a little romance advice in the forty-second “Oysters & Wine,” and the promise that the group “won’t sell out” in “Stop Calling Us, Chief.”  The EP ends on a slightly less spastic note, but demonstrates that the band has some substance behind their wild antics, hinting towards a sustainable sound for future endeavours that should keepPKEW PKEW PKEW (gunshots) from being more than a simple one trick pony.

So despite sporting a cover resembling a female version of the captain from Spongebob Squarepants’ opening sequence, Royalty showcases some early talent and a whole whack of potential.  So for the next thirteen minutes, do yourself a favour and rid yourself of conventional expectations, and take part in the altered state that is PKEW PKEW PKEW (gunshots).