San Francisco’s Hounds & Harlots is a pop punk band in the vein of bands that aren’t strictly speaking pop punk bands. Rather, they’re pop punk in the way that hook laden gruff acts like Cobra Skulls or The Loves Ones are sometimes labeled, all the while maintaining all the grit and grime of something signed with No Idea Records (e.g. Gatorface). Now I might be throwing out some pretty reputable names, but their debut EP, a trio of songs titled Are You With Us, is remarkably strong and will likely earn them a place alongside these soon to be peers.
Actually, Hounds & Harlots reminds me of a couple of other solid debuts I’ve become acquainted with recently, those being from The Holy Mess and Campaign. Like each of the aforementioned bands, Hounds & Harlots commands a solid chemistry making their tracks both easy to listen to and astoundingly memorable. You know that seldom-used repeat button on your iPod? Well, you’ll need it now.
“Divisardo” kicks Are You With Us off with what is easily their catchiest display of grimy, sing along, street inspired punk. Boasting a bouncy beat that just gets under your skin and irks you to move, Hounds & Harlots has crafted an opener with hooks that plant themselves deep in memory, and just won’t let go until well after its sub two-minute run time.
The next two tracks take a slightly different approach, shedding much of their poppy overtones and finding other avenues of attack. “Wasted” still pulls out some hooks, but focuses less on sing along choruses and more on Bryan Zimmerman’s steady guitar work. The final track, “Lot To Learn” takes a vocal twist, making for some of the demo’s rawest (and angriest) moments. Both are refreshing follow-ups to the first.
There’s not a lot more to say other than that Hounds & Harlots have debuted with three unique tracks that should be heard. That the demo ends after barely six-minutes makes it a tease, but at this stage in their career it gets the job done and creates an memorable introduction that will leave listeners checking Hounds & Harlots HQ daily for news of upcoming EPs and full lengths. Expect big things from this trio. – Cole Faulkner
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