I’ve mentioned a few times now that I’ve been looking to shake up my listening routine a bit. I’ve been doing a deep, deep dive into the South Jersey/Philly punk scene and, friends, I hope you’re excited about the vibe as much as I am. Cait Darcy’s new EP, Friends: Old and New, has the kind of edgy, surf-rock quality that hints at summers in Asbury Park — and the alienation of living in a city on the I-10 corridor.
“Favorite Show” starts off with a peppy pace, establishing Darcy’s pop punk bonafides while she indulges a dark breakup fantasy. “Short Term,” the song that initially caught my ear, has a driving, relentless groove that reminds me of relative neighbors Oceanator. The song sure has a lot of feelings about casual relationships, and the ever-present undertow of the bass sucks you in to that confusion. “Everybody Love,” by contrast, finds Darcy’s mournful singing well-suited to a more contemplative tempo. The last song, “Pygmy Pines,” feels the most stylistically distinct — a jagged guitar pattern and distant vocals to drive that sense of isolation home. With a run time of 4:28, it approaches my other newfound musical interest: jazz.