The Front Bottoms ‘Rose’ EP

Words by Brett Bodner

Over a year ago, The Front Bottoms released Talon of the Hawk, and since then the Jersey-bred band keeps growing in popularity. Making the rounds in the pop punk scene, they toured with Brand New and are getting ready to head out on the road with Say Anything this June 13th.

Shortly after the tour begins, The Front Bottoms, (Brian Sella and Mathew Uychich) will give their fans a little gift with a new release called the Rose EP.

Many of the songs on the EP are re-recordings of past songs off of their self-released albums My Grandma vs. Pneumonia, I Hate My Friends, and Brothers Can’t Be Friends. The re-recordings are cleaner, more solid, and sound more refreshed, which should be a treat for any Front Bottoms fan.

The EP kicks off with “Flying Model Rockets”, which sets the tone for the EP and starts it on a high note. “Lipstick Covered Magnet” has lyrics that are sure to get stuck in your head like “And I’m gonna get on my knees /Would you kick me in the face please/It’ll make whatever I say sound like poetry/And as the gums begin to bleed, the words will fall like teeth.”

“Be Nice to Me” is a song that makes it near-impossible to sit still as it plays. From the very beginning Sella unleashes a catchy guitar riff, which continues throughout the song. This one should be fun to see/hear live.

Sella finishes the Rose EP off by himself with “Awkward Conversations” which reminds me of Brand New’s “Soco Amaretto Lime” as Sella sings out “I personally think it’s too cold to have the windows open/but you want to smoke your menthol cigarettes.”

The EP serves as a great appetizer to hold fans over until they record their next full length album. As the band says on “Jim Bogart”, “Sometimes things just don’t work out.” Fortunately for them, Rose EP worked out quite nicely.