Blitz Review: Del Paxton - Worst. Summer. Ever.

This summer was a buzzkill. It was either so hot that your head would explode worse than an attack from those psychics in Scanners (Just type in "Scanners Head Explosion" on youtube) or the crowds were so unbearably huge anywhere you went that eventually you threw your hands up in the air in disgust. So maybe Del Paxtons EP title, Worst. Summer. Ever, added to it's enjoyment because I too thought the summer was the worst ever (Maybe they're being ironic and these guys were having amazing soirees every night). But really the only reason I enjoyed this EP was because these guys sound great.

They instantly come across as pop-punk, but with a late 90's alternative flair. "October" defines their sound better than the other songs because, if it wasn't for the vocals, you'd swear you were listening to something from 1998. It has hints of pop punk in it, and the vocals are reminiscent of that genre, but the music never opts to leave the sweet confines of it's safe alternative home. "Two Planes Away", while being slightly more subdued, still touts these same tropes. The vocals have harmonies to them, and the guitar parts cross into the punk realm occasionally, but nothing tries to blow people away suddenly with a fast drum beat. You can tell they kind of want to, but manage to keep their desires at bay.

"Surfs Up" and "Motion Sick" are pop-punk through and through, but they still don't try to be too aggressive for their own good. They're well crafted songs that show how much love these guys put into their music. Even if this type of music isn't your cup of tea, you can't help but marvel at the work they've done here, because 90% of the bands you probably like out there are incompetent fools who do nothing more than make beats on a computer and and call themselves a 'band' (It looks like it'll be a continuing trend for me to insult every electronic-based band on the planet in every review). 

Worst. Summer. Ever. is a great little EP that doesn't ask much from you, if anything. Musically, it may not be for everyone, but I dare you to find one fault with it. It's not everyday you come across something so simple yet gratifying. Maybe if this had actually come out earlier in the summer, if wouldn't have sucked so much for me - Shane