California’s Ultra Q return with their new EP, Get Yourself A Friend. The new EP is the band’s first release since last year’s debut album, In A Cave In A Video Game, and it sees the band solidify their place as one of the most exciting bands around at the moment.
‘Pupkin’ opens ‘Get Yourself A Friend’ and is a great introduction of what you can expect from the band in the 6 tracks on the EP. A truly captivating listen, ‘Pupkin’ is doused in nostalgia, with psychedelia-tinged riffs that swirl before making way for a strong chorus.
‘It’s Permanent’ follows, allowing Ultra Q to play around with their grunge influences which morph around lead vocalist Jakob Armstrong’s experimentation with spoken word before you’re introduced to a massive chorus that sets this track a cut above the rest.
Next up is the EP’s lead single, ‘Bowman’, a slice of frantic punk soaked rock that is reminiscent of The Strokes that is destined to get listeners’ feet tapping. A high energy number, ‘Bowman’ discusses the romanticisation of online relationships – and how now it is more common to feel more connected to your technology than it is to people.
The only ballad on the EP, ‘Straight Jacket’, shows a high level of musicianship and gives listeners a chance to reflect on the previous tracks, whilst also serving as a beautiful segway into ‘Handheld’.
‘Handheld’ exhibits what Ultra Q do best, it is infectious and punchy that is paired with a 90’s-esque music video which pays homage to skateboarding culture through a fish-eye lens and vintage camcorder aesthetics.
Closing the EP sees the EP’s title track, which started out as a Prodigy-eque electronica demo where the line ‘Get Yourself A Friend’ was repeated. As this eventually became the track’s chorus, the rest of the track is built up with clever instrumentation that propel the lazy feel of the song. A perfect, coming of age track which sees Ultra Q bid farewell to their youth.
Get Yourself A Friend sees Ultra Q experiment with their style whilst also remaining true to themselves and building on their already strong dynamic. The title track of this EP stands as its most intriguing track, destined to have listeners hanging on for more.
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