cram it in ya
***

The Violet Crams is no doubt a punk band. The trio have just released Cram It In Ya, a six track EP that gives listeners hard hitting punk from start to finish.  If it isn’t the alternative cover art that gives it away, it’s the track titles such as “Fucked in the Head” and “Mass Murder America” that do. They showcase Violent Soho-styled vocals mixed in with heavy influence from acts like Sonic Youth and Nirvana. Sounds pretty good, right?

Punk is definitely not for everyone, but The Violet Crams do a pretty good job of making it interesting enough to listen to for those who may not usually be into the genre. Tracks like the ska-infused “Big Eyes” contrast pretty well with the aforementioned thrash tune “Fucked in the Head” to cover all bases of the ska-punk-grunge field.

It’s easy to assume that those who want to listen to punk would probably want to crank it so loud that they feel the kick drum pound through their skull, and so it’s a shame that Cram It In Ya is just too lo-fi to make that easily attainable. The guitars are a little too well pronounced, overshadowing a lot of the percussion.

Maybe the whole lo-fi thing is a recording style that goes hand in hand with entry level punk bands, but if you want the best of The Violet Crams, I’d recommend moshing to them live versus listening to this release.

 

Also printed in Bside Magazine 26 March 2015

Bside