The Redder the Better

There is no substitute for heart. This is true in most things, and especially in music. The most technically astounding composition is nothing if it isn’t played with feeling. On their debut EP, Rochester’s own Polar Bear Club wears their hearts on their sleeves, and you can hear it. The band’s sound is best defined by two standout elements: powerful guitar-work, and a flawless vocal delivery. This is not typical punk rock guitar playing on display. PBC sprinkles in dissonance, plus a knack for creative rhythmic patterns to lift their sound to a plane different from power-chord punk bands. The selling point for this disc, however, comes from the vocalist. Often gritty, and occasionally beautifully melodic, variety is in no short supply. Thoughtful lyrics touch on personal topics and broad metaphorical and philosophical leanings. But it is not just what Polar Bear Club says, but how they say it that makes this five-song EP so damned likeable. You can tell that these guys live for their music, and any success is secondary compared to the joy they seem to have in making music together.

The lyrics of the closing track, “Most Miserable Life,” say it best: “We fucked our ears, we fucked our throats, singin’ for the sake of what we love most. These pretty scars aren’t going anywhere.” And hopefully, Polar Bear Club isn’t going anywhere either.