The Artist Life

Bouncing pop punk that sounds just a little like vocalist Ian Blackwood’s former melodic punk outfit, Jersey, the Artist Life’s Living EP is a catchy release whose price can’t be beat. Available for free from their website, this EP was clearly designed to turn some heads, with slick production courtesy of Burlington punk vet Justin Koop emphasising the aggression and accessibility of the band’s sound. Kicking things off with "Liquid Courage,” the Artist Life establish themselves as purveyors of the kind of rock’n’punk currently being popularised by bands like the Loved Ones, and quickly prove themselves equally as adept at writing catchy punk rock as their musical contemporaries. "Waiting Room” works hard to capture the energetic drive of Hot Water Music, coming off as one of the EP’s strongest tracks, while the excellent "City Blocks” contains the most punk vigour found on any of these seven songs.