Junior are a three piece pop punk outfit hailing from South Wales. Their first 7-track EP, ‘This Town Sucked Anyways’, was self-recorded and released in January of this year. The record starts slowly with an intro track, but soon launches into a riot of energetic, honest harmonies and catchy hooks. One thing that sets Junior apart from a lot of emerging bands is that they’re not polished or pretentious… the whole EP is slightly messy, a bit raw and rough around the edges, and it doesn’t pretend otherwise. Admittedly this does jar in some places – the vocals in ‘Interlude’ come across as strained, in some places it’s clear that MIDI drums have been used (due to lack of resources in the self-recording process and their lack of a drummer at the time) and at some points the melodies flounder a little but on the whole the record is actually refreshing and down to earth.
The majority of the record has a great pace, with gang vocals and guitar riffs that genuinely make you want to dance; and from experience, this translates fantastically into live shows, where the boys have a knack for getting a room pumped up and energised. ‘Way Out’ and ‘They Don’t Make Them Like Kelly Kapowski No More’ exhibit Junior’s talent for penning a hook that will stick in your head for days (“SLEEPING WITH THE LIGHTS DOWN LOWE) The one track that doesn’t seem to sit well with the rest of the EP is ‘Undertow’ – it’s slightly heavier, with a grungy twist, and comes across as somewhat overcrowded; the fast guitar melodies get somewhat drowned out by the weight of the drums and the layers of vocals, and in all it just seems a little out of sync with the rest of the record. It could be inferred that Junior are simply trying to cram too many ideas into too few tracks, which bodes well for their future as long as things get a bit more refined – an official statement from the band states that they currently have over 30 demos waiting to be polished and whittled down to create their debut full length album.
Undoubtedly the saving grace of the whole record is the beautifully peppy yet emotional ‘Breaking Kayfabe’ – it slows the pace down, and packs a punch with lyrics about overcoming negativity that will be relatable to many listeners. In all, then, while ‘This Town Sucked Anyways’ is rough round the edges and could definitely be improved, it showcases a lot of potential from the Junior boys – and with a 1000-strong Twitter following, a busy gigging schedule and a follow-up single in the pipelines, this is sure to be just the beginning for them.
BECKI SMITH