Junior Battles

With the exception of opening track "We're Not Coming Down," Junior Battles manage a delicate balance of pop punk and the edgier, darker influence of bands like Jawbreaker or Fugazi. Most of the songs start out sounding poppy before evolving into a wall of layered guitars and gang vocals that cause Junior Battles at times, to sound a little like Bombs Over Providence. The standout track is definitely "Boats," the chorus of which will stay stuck in your head for days. While the production is often a tad bass-heavy for the style of music this is still a promising debut from this Toronto band.