Spill’s debut ‘Top Ten’ is a bouncing and optimistic antidote to these cold winter months and dismal times we find ourselves in. Ten tracks full of catchy choruses and riffs that will stick in your head for days, ‘Top Ten’ is a remarkably assured record from the four piece from Lancaster, PA. Not that you would expect anything less from ex-members of Placeholder and We Were Skeletons, however.
Opener and standout track ‘Can’t Keep Cool’ will have you nodding your head along instantly and the chorus will put the biggest grin on your face. ‘So Bright’ is a restless banger, with some ridiculous sixteens on the hi-hat providing a fidgeting energy that seems even more intense when contrasted with the plodding ballad ‘Turn Around’ that follows.
‘You Know It’s True’ builds beautifully, ending in a mess of rushed guitars and drums. The bass and drums compliment each other throughout, whilst catchy guitars riffs sit proudly and assuredly on top of the rhythm section. Vocalist Brandon Gepfer’s delivery is on point throughout, his confidence flowing as the record goes from strength to strength.
Whilst comparisons with fellow Pennsylvanians The Menzingers are inevitable, Spill are far more interesting and much more than a carbon copy or a second-rate imitation. Whilst Gepfer claims the record was ‘the best thing we could come up with. It’s my top ten songs I could write’, it’s unlikely this stays the case for long. Spill are only getting started: you’d be wise to keep an eye on them.
CONOR MACKIE