Review / 200 Words Or Less
Averkiou
Wasted and High

Sound Study Recordings (2009) Loren

Averkiou – Wasted and High cover artwork
Averkiou – Wasted and High — Sound Study Recordings, 2009

The title track on this 7" is a fitting sound, given its title. "Wasted and High" has a pop structure run through the wash, and the fuzzy guitars and calm delivery of singer Matt Brink would fit under the shoegaze label. On "No One's Holding a Gun to Your Head," the band adds more harmony to Brink's sleepy delivery. Meanwhile, the guitarists weave around each other's pedal work while James Hernandez keeps things in order with a steady beat. The song is overshadowed by the a-side, but comes across much stronger than the bonus track that follows on the downloadable bonus. "Jersey" is an acoustic song that screams emo, with slipshod lyrics about how "Staying in love can be a bitch

and

You take and you take," with backing "Oooo-ooo"s. The record would have been better off omitting this one completely.

5.1 / 10Loren • September 1, 2010

Averkiou – Wasted and High cover artwork
Averkiou – Wasted and High — Sound Study Recordings, 2009

Recently-posted album reviews

Lethal Limits

Elevate EP
GhettoBlaster Productions (2025)

As far as I can gather Jeff Corso has been playing in bands in the Bay Area for the past 20 years but seems like exclusively hardcore until now. Full disclosure: I’m only reviewing this because Aesop from Hickey plays drums. That said, I generally only review stuff I like, so go figure. This doesn’t sound like Hickey but since … Read more

Dealbreaker

New Sides
Late Again Records, Toll Free Records (2026)

Dealbreaker popped onto my radar as part of a package tour with Pro Wrestling, who cold called me with a Penske File namedrop. This story is a bit of a Canadian roundabout, but their methodology worked: I listened to their music and dug it enough to review it. And I'm mentioning it because, at times, Dealbreaker reminds me of The … Read more

The Library Is On Fire

Degeneration Elegies
The Abyss, Ltd. (2026)

There’s a certain kind of band that never quite fits the moment they arrive in. Sometimes too jagged for one scene, too melodic for another. The Library Is On Fire were one of those bands in the early 2000s, hovering somewhere between indie-punk urgency and power-pop instinct without fully settling into either. On Degeneration Elegies, their first full-length in over … Read more