Band -State Lines – (Facebook) (Bandcamp)
Release Title- Self Titled
Medium – Seven Inch
Label –  (Tiny Engines)
Style – Indie Rock, Pop Punk
From – Long Island, NY

(Stream)

First of all, this band’s 2011 full-length Hoffman Manor is a major jammer, and I highly recommend you go stream it at their bandcamp promptly after reading this.

I know the Tigers Jaw and Joyce Manor comparisons are going to come pouring in immediately, and they are not entirely unwarranted (State Lines is certainly doing the whole late 90s indie-emo channeled through upbeat pop punk thing), but to write this band off as a TJ clone is a sore, sore, sore mistake. There are also trace elements of pop punk like Saves The Day and orgcore like Against Me! and also some Brand New stuff – oh, and of course, Wu Tang Clan. But, again, there’s more to it than that.

Ricky Enderle, a super chill duder, is booking their tour or something, and I’m booking them in Indy in July and it’s going to be good times all around. He sent me a link to their new EP. This 7″ starts right where Hoffman Manor left off – except even better. Definitely a solid record for the summer, full of head-bobbing choruses and full-throated singalongs  - sounds like salty fingers and sweaty foreheads, if you know what I mean. The production of the album (excuse my dorkiness) reminds me a lot of Boys Life’s Departures and Landfalls. Same sort of dry, no-frills production that, for whatever reason, just works out really well. I really like the sorta spatty, dying-battery sound the guitar has in a couple of the tracks.

My favorite track after a few listens is certainly Plenty Of Time. That first riff when the guitar comes in is so good. This track is super 90s, not in a cliche way or anything, though. Plus that bridge thing – it’s groovy with that whole ride-bell thing the drummer’s doing. Unfortunately, it’s not one of the tracks Tiny Engines is previewing on their bandcamp page. LAME.

Oh, and did I mention that the cover art rules? Seriously, look at that scrub.