[New Music] Brigades-Crocodile Tears

You can count the amount of 2013 pop-punk albums from Columbia, SC on one finger. It’s got to be lonely at the top and bottom of your local genre and scene, and that obviously has its advantages and disadvantages. For one, you’re the go to band when it comes to touring bills that need a local opener, on the other healthy competition and fan sharing is important, and close to impossible for Brigades in this town. Columbia isn’t completely devoid of pop-punk bands, but there really aren’t many of note that are very active these days. And while this is a young mans genre, Brigades is built from the ghosts of punk bands past.

You can boil Brigades down to pop-punk, but their new EP Crocodile Tears is much more. Each song pounding and hook driven, features thick guitar riffing that retains its clarity and trueness to each note played. Brigades find themselves where hardcore meets pop, with a tightness as musicians that holds it all together. The closing of opening track “Whipstaff Manor” breaks down with screams before transitioning into gang vocals set underneath the drums and guitars, the band pulls out just about every trick of the trade in these 5 songs. One of the big things this EP has going for it is that each song stands apart from each other, set firmly on catchy linear melodies, all five tracks stops and start enough to regain the clarity in your mind.

Brigades are fortunate that we live in a day and age where it’s easy to break out of your local scene. With more receptive towns like Augusta and Charlotte less than two hours away they can make those places second homes–Spartanburg is already considered one of their strongholds with home ties. This EP is on par with the other top bands of the genre today like Transit and Man Overboard, with a enough of the bands personal influence to crossover and steal fans of all types.