Unsubscribe from the Underground, the new EP from Hayley and the Crushers, arrives two years after the band's last LP Modern Adult Kicks — which I've publicly declared to be my fourth-favorite album of this century. As much as I love Modern Adult Kicks, I've never been tempted to compare Unsubscribe from the Underground to it. Hayley and the Crushers have never been a band to stagnate or imitate themselves. They make one great record, and then they proceed to make a different kind of great record. The progress in between is always a reflection of personal and musical growth.
In some respects, Unsubscribe from the Underground is the Crushers' punkiest record to date. But I think the whole point of this EP (and this band) is that it doesn't subscribe (no pun intended) to any single genre. Punk, pop, new wave, '60s girl groups, and country music are all in the mix, but it all just sounds like Hayley and the Crushers. They've reached that point as a band where their own style and talents define them more than any genre could. The vibe of the record, in the band's own words, is equal parts "grit and glitz." Instruments were tracked in guitarist Ryan DeLiso's basement, and the vocals were recorded at Josie Cotton's Kitten Robot Studio in Los Angeles. This gives the EP a scrappy Midwestern garage punk edge and a sunny California pop polish. That's a perfect metaphor for Hayley and Dr. Cain's personal transition from California to Detroit — which was certainly a major influence on these songs.
With super-talented new members DeLiso and Gabe Masek on board, the Crushers sound re-energized and fully inspired on this EP. The first three songs were released as advance singles over the summer, and by now it feels like they've been in my life forever. But what's immediately obvious is that these songs were meant to be heard together. They're all very different songs, but they flow into each other seamlessly. Part of what makes the Crushers one of my favorite bands is the way they sneak genuine lyrical substance into musically intoxicating songs, and Hayley has written some of her finest material for this EP. Over the course of four original songs, she reflects on not fitting in with either the in crowd or the out crowd, reminisces on what it meant to be a teenage punk rocker in Hollywood, beautifully depicts the extraordinary love she and Dr. Cain share, and opines on the way technology has fully consumed our lives. This is an EP made by and for misfits, and that says a lot about why I feel so connected to this band.
Since I've already reviewed the first three tracks as singles, I won't say too much about them again besides pointing out that "Blood and Treasure" might be my new fave Crushers song. I'm such a fan of songs that celebrate enduring adult love (and do it well). And the Crushers doing a song that sounds like End of the Century gone country is a true stroke of genius. The two new tracks bring it on home in style. "Let Go," which explores the psychological and emotional toll of technology overload, hits very close to home for me. And given that '90s pop-punk was my gateway to this whole underground punk universe, I'm stoked to hear the Crushers calling upon that specific influence and making it their own. To end the EP, the Crushers take on the 1981 Juice Newton pop-country smash "Queen of Hearts." Yeah, I know Dave Edmunds recorded the song first. But the Crushers are definitely covering the song Juice style. I've been waiting decades for a band to properly punk up this song, and the Crushers have not disappointed!
Unsubscribe from the Underground is available now from all the streaming outlets via Kitten Robot Records. A vinyl release is coming soon, so stay tuned for more details. In the meantime, I have decided to unsubscribe from the following things: checking work email outside of work hours, spending two hours writing 700-word record reviews, looking at my phone at the gym, leaving tips at Chipotle and Jersey Mike's, limiting myself to two beers, worrying about things I can't control, and refusing to turn on the heat before November 1st.
https://hayleyandthecrushers.bandcamp.com/album/unsubscribe-from-the-underground
https://open.spotify.com/album/2BlEo07FgcoPy341c58oRn
https://www.hayleyandthecrushers.com/
https://www.instagram.com/hayleyandthecrushers
https://www.facebook.com/hayleyandthecrushers/
https://kittenrobot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/kittenrobotrecords
https://www.instagram.com/kittenrobotrecords/
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