Winnebago Deal – Bail Out [EP]

Bail Out, British punk rock duo Winnebago Deal‘s EP released specifically for Record Store Day 2014, is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it phenomenon. The EP contains four songs, clocking in at under eight minutes total. Best listened to at higher volume, Bail Out is a good listen. It will “pick you up” and set a “carpe diem” mood for your day!

Songs are short, uptempo, uncomplicated, high-energy, and melodic: par for the course. They’re a little more reliant on an alt-rock “clean” or “refined” guitar tone then traditional old-school punk, which was very overdriven. Tone and tempo wise, if the EP was just a little mellower, it would be very tempting to imagine it cohabiting with latter-day power-pop. The EP channels plenty of that angry, sneering, swear-like-a-drunken-sailor, machismo attitude, in both lyrics and delivery. Instrumentally, it’s just guitarist Ben Perrier and drummer Ben Thomas who create the music, so a lack of aggressive “pit bull” bass guitar, common in (at least American) punk rock, and it’s close brother thrash metal – is palpable. There’s plenty of low end; it’s just not super pronounced. There are a couple of spots that have guitar layers or overdubs, such as the introduction on “Gimme A Bullet”, so Perrier and Thomas are taking advantage of at least some studio amenities.

The band’s 2010 full-length effort, Career Suicide, features more layering and a better production, but a similar DIY punk “look and feel”. Both releases have well-balanced, crisp, professional mix and masters, and sound fantastic over digital “airwaves”.

Overall, Winnebago Deal sounds like a band that you’d want to check out in a sketchy, sweaty nightclub that has a couple flickering lights above the postage-stamp size stage. If you play and want to record punk, Bail Out is a great album to follow: it doesn’t sacrifice a quality presentation to follow a “DIY” ideology. It’s message isn’t lost.

Track Listing:
Bailout
Who’s Laughing Now
Scene Of The Crime
Gimme a Bullet

Band Lineup:
Ben Perrier – Vocals, guitars, bass, piano
Ben Thomas – Drums, percussion

Links:
Official Band Website
Official Band Facebook Page
Official Band Twitter Page

3/5