Social Standards – Not So Fast

New York’s Social Standards are easily one of the more impressive unsigned acts I’ve heard in a long time as their new, self-released EP, Not So Fast, comes blaring out of the speakers and never once hinders.

Unlike so many bands, Social Standards don’t submit to a simple structure for their songs but instead plug in and go crazy. Their sound is spastic, chaotic and frenzied but neatly tied together in a cohesive package that sees the band building on top of every note. It’s extremely technical punk, mixes of Strung Out with At The Drive In and The Fall Of Troy but with vocals that are more routed in the straight out hardcore punk.

The vocals are venomous, being spat out at lightning speed somewhere on the brink between singing and screaming – often leaning more towards the latter than the former.  There’s an unbridle intensity in the vocals, an anger and passion that can’t be faked but the vocals aren’t the highlight of the five song EP.

No, the best part of Social Standards is their unpredictable musical structure. The music is insanely technical, unimaginable fast and being pounded through with a double bass kick. Its hard to believe that it’s only a trio making this raucous as it sounds like there should be so much more. It’s like the Muse syndrome, where you’re sure there must be more than just a trio behind the instruments; however Social Standards are the furthest thing away from Muse imaginable.

The band is constantly mixing it up. Temporary Temperature sees them changing tempo and time structure nearly every thirty seconds – going from high pitch squeals to guttural grunts without a moment break and features a reggae-influenced bridge. It’s chaotic and shouldn’t work together but it does.

The band is immensely talented, listen to the introduction on Out Of Luck and you’ll be amazed at not only the prominent bass line but just at how well it all flows together.  And on top of being more technical than some of the biggest named bands around, Not So Fast is also one of the better recorded EPs available right now too – it sounds perfect and it’s just so much more impressive since it’s all self-financed.

If a band with no label can create an EP as solid as this, why can’t bands with label support?