Summer is essentially over, but thankfully we have Death By Shotgun’s ‘Life’s A Beach’ to ease us into colder weather and shorter days. Treading the line between pop punk choruses and indie rock build ups, the Bournemouth quartet tackles everyday life challenges in a relatively uplifting manner.
The acoustic guitar sections, courtesy of frontman Dom Wright, sound sharp and diligent with every strummed chord, thanks to the glossy production from Daly George. The introspective electric guitar lead from Co frontman Matt Gibbons adds a nice sense of variation and charm, complementing the heavy handed drum fills.
Straight afterward, the dynamics speed up with the pop punk anthem ‘Hate My Brain’. The lyrics are simplistic in nature but used effectively to convey the message across, of that special someone who helps you get through a shitty day. The imagery at times is morbid (“head under the water until my lungs collapse, bury my head in the sand”) but the joyful delivery makes for a playful contrast. There’s a clear The Menzingers influence on this track, all whilst bringing a refreshing sound to the table.
Despite the slightly generic chord progression in ‘New Year’s Eve’, the endearing lyrics about the forced fun you’re meant to have at these annual occasions make up for it. Wright ultimately feels defeated, telling us that “another year of my life has gone to waste”. It has an almost house show-esque warmth to it, while retaining that crucial element of relatability.
‘Surf’s Up’ starts off with a jangly guitar hook, and for the most part wouldn’t sound too out of place at a beach party. Again, the acoustic guitar hooks are light, padding out typically heavy elements in emo music and replacing them with carefree, folky sensibilities.
Closing the EP, we have ‘Repeat’, a folk punk ballad where all we’re left with is Wright’s acoustic guitar and melancholic musings of how mundane life can get sometimes. It’s intimate, downtrodden, and concludes ‘Life’s A Beach’ with a bit of a downer ending, but still leaving you wanting more.
On the whole, ‘Life’s A Beach’ is a fun debut, packed with tight performances with classic emo sensibilities.
ASHWIN BANDAR