Tuesday, August 06, 2019

Mala Vista - self titled EP

One thing I love to write about but don't hear that often is pure '77-style punk rock. Well I'm hearing it from Mala Vista, and I am stoked! This band out of Queens and Brooklyn has released its debut EP as a five-track 7" and a seven-track digital download. This politically-minded foursome possesses the spirit of The Clash and a sound that brings to mind everyone from The Damned to the Dead Boys to Eater. Given the troubling normalization of white supremacy in recent years, "Mouth Breeder" is a welcome punk anthem for 2019. With its throbbing bass lines and ripping guitar leads, it's the perfect example of how to make a social statement and still rock LAMF. Play it loud and get fired up! Similarly, "NY Groove" re-interprets the sounds of 1977 punk rock and roll for a modern-day attack on wealth and greed. Elsewhere, lyrics reflect a personal struggle to make one's way in an unjust world. I really dig the sound here: it's rooted in classic punk, yet it's got an edge to it that some '77 revivalists can never manage to capture. This is music with passion and guts, and it's a reminder that punk rock can still satisfy in a way no other kind of music can. As a '77-punk geek and a lifetime East Coaster, I'm definitely feeling this record!



-L.R.

https://malavista.bandcamp.com/album/mala-vista-ep 
https://www.facebook.com/malavistanyc/

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