Upon listening to about the first thirty seconds of The Offseason’s Pastimes EP, I knew that I was going to enjoy the whole thing. A bit of prior research enlightened me with information on the band’s Boston, Mass. roots. By now the Boston pop punk sound has cemented itself as something distinguished and unique in the scene, so after those first thirty seconds spent wondering if they drew influence from that sound, I knew what The Offseason had in store for me.
Everything you would expect from a pop punk record is present. From the catchy, bouncy riffs to the breakneck drumbeats to the sing-along gang vocals, the Pastimes EP covers all ground in that respect. What put it a bit over the top (in a good way) however, are two things: the production and the musicianship. The EP has a clean production style, making each instrument sound crisp and distinguishable from all others. This approach greatly benefits The Offseason because it gives the musicianship the recognition it deserves, netting some of the best moments on the EP.
"Spit Trash" is undoubtedly one of the Pastimes EP’s highlights with its explosively energetic opening riff reminiscent of Less Than Jake’s "Short Fuse Burning". Everything about this song screams fast-paced fun and is definitely going to be a great track to play live with lines like “pack up your shit and go home” ripe for sing-alongs. Some other standout tracks on the EP are "Can’t Sleep", with its great chorus, and closer "Unsettled", in which the lead guitarist really gets a chance to shine.
The Pastimes EP by The Offseason makes itself clear very early. This is Boston pop punk through and through, in the best way. The Offseason play to their strengths on their latest effort and it has really paid off in the form of their most consistent and coherent work to date.
Tracklist:
1. Can't Sleep
2. '98
3. Dead Girl
4. Spit Trash
5. Unsettled
6. Collecting Dust
RIYL: Transit, The Story So Far
Rating:
Written by Marc Saggese
