Earlier this year, I promised that "many" reviews of Jarama 45RPM Recs releases were forthcoming. It seems we are well on our way! The Madrid label's third release also marks its third appearance on this blog. Again Jarama 45RPM stays true to its mission to release strictly hit singles on 7" vinyl. Basketball Shorts' "This Summer" absolutely fits the bill - a true punk rock smash in my book. You may already know Basketball Shorts as Austin, Texas's finest "party punk" band. Call it party punk, pop-punk, pizza punk, slacker rock, or whatever else you desire. The point is that "This Summer" is just a wonderful song. It's probably not what you're expecting from this band. It's less of a party song and more of a "morning after the party" song - what you might be listening to in calm solitude as you nurse your hangover and reflect on how fleeting good times can be. This wistful number tugs at the heartstrings so effectively that it ought to be playing over the closing credits of a bittersweet cinematic love story. The inclusion of "Hot and Ready" (easily one of the greatest pop-punk songs of the present decade) on this EP is a master stroke of track selection given how nicely it complements "This Summer". There are times to be reflective, and then there are times to just crank it to 11 and have some fun! "Home", a perfect middle ground between the two aforementioned tracks, is a song that's exclusive to this release. Being a huge pop-punk fan going all the way back to the early '90s, I'm stoked to still hear bands like Basketball Shorts that remind me why I fell in love with this type of music in the first place. One thing you've gotta say about Bernando from Jarama 45RPM: he sure knows how to spot the hits!
-L.R.
https://basketballshortsatx.bandcamp.com/album/this-summer-ep
https://www.facebook.com/jarama45rpmrecs/
https://www.facebook.com/basketballshortsatx/
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