In recent months, I've written about a couple of singles from Seattle, Washington's Radio Weekend. This foursome is my kind of band. They're right there in that punk-adjacent power pop lane that has always been a sweet spot for me, but they don't really sound like any other band out there. They've carved themselves a nice little niche of their own. They cite some classic influences (The Cars, Cheap Trick, Ramones) but never really sound like they're trying to imitate those bands. There are a couple homages here and there (see if you can spot them!), but Radio Weekend's sound is more of a general vibe. As I listen to new EP Circles, my mind keeps jumping to '90s punk-pop and alt-rock — but by way of the late '70s and early '80s. Essentially, this is the band for all of us who were drawn to pop-punk and power pop because we were new wave kids.
I've previously commented on "Rather Be Lonely" and "By My Side." Circles includes those two songs plus four more. If crunchy, punchy power poppy goodness is your jam, you will find much to like here. If you were out and about and heard any of these songs pop up on a random playlist, you'd be like, "Wow! Who is this?" These guys aren't trying to break new ground, but there sure is a place in 2026 for three-minute love songs that sound like they could have been radio hits 30 or 40 years ago. These guys sure know how to write a catchy tune with some oomph to it. "Back to Yesterday" and "Number One Again" are on the punkier end of the spectrum, while "Can't Slow Down" is solid mid-tempo power pop. The title track, which tops the four-minute mark, achieves the perfect balance of punch and melancholy. And man, that hook is massive! You totally could have danced to this one with your junior high crush at the 8th grade formal. Is "Rather Be Lonely" still "the hit"? Probably. But this is a darn solid EP all the way through, and I love how the cassette packaging throws it back to the era in culture that inspired these songs. Kudos to Michael Springer and Scott Von Rocket (a supporter of mine for 30 years!) for mixing and mastering these tracks into radio-ready shape.
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