Review
Debt Neglector
Bad Faith EP

Smartpunk Records (2020) Loren

Debt Neglector – Bad Faith EP cover artwork
Debt Neglector – Bad Faith EP — Smartpunk Records, 2020

Debt Neglector put this new digital EP into the world in late 2020, in part to help raise funds for Fair Fight before the Georgia runoff elections. It has five songs, ending on an Elvis Costello cover.

That intro is relevant because the songs on Bad Faith are highly political in nature, so it gives an added dimension. The EP also came into being from the recording sessions of the band’s upcoming LP that hasn’t been formally announced yet. These songs are leftovers from the recording, but they hold their ground well on Bad Faith. While they released it in response to the Senate election, it’s hitting me in extra powerful ways in the week following the insurrection. If you’re one of the people asking, “How could this happen?” then I recommend listening to this EP.

Generally speaking, I’d paint Debt Neglector as a melodic punk band with a strong skatepunk influence. The songs are compact and built around the chorus. The power lies in the melodic, memorable refrains while the punch comes from vocal inflection and ear-catching breakdowns that highlight those choruses, such as in “Sore Loser” and its refrain of “Being an asshole don’t make you a patriot” that I’ll probably be reciting as I read the news for a long time to come. Think of Good Riddance and old school Propagandhi with a surprising ear for pop that’s usually subtle but sometimes overt.

The first four songs share a consistent tone, but the last two show that “recommended if you like” comments only go so far. “Least I Could Do” is an acoustic and personal farewell, and then the record ends on a cover of Costello’s “Welcome To My Working Week” that’s true to the original: crisp and clean -- New Wave pop at its finest (with a bit more caffeine).

Bad Faith is a good teaser of Debt Neglector’s sound and a perhaps a preview of what’s to come. It’s angry, but there’s more than just vitriol. There are sensitive melodies, undertones of weary working-class experience, and enough pep for it to come across as potent and relevant instead of tired, cliché or trying too hard. It fits a neat genre label, but there’s enough nuance and subtly diverse influence to keep it fresh.

7.0 / 10Loren • January 18, 2021

Debt Neglector – Bad Faith EP cover artwork
Debt Neglector – Bad Faith EP — Smartpunk Records, 2020

Related features

Debt Neglector interviews Virginity

Interviews / Fest 19 • November 18, 2021

Virginity interviews Debt Neglector

Interviews / Fest 19 • October 26, 2021

Debt Neglector

One Question Interviews • March 29, 2020

Related news

Tribute time: 20 years of Blink 182's untitled album

Posted in Records on November 21, 2023

Debt Neglector shares title track from new album

Posted in Records on August 22, 2021

Debt Neglector has a new EP

Posted in Records on December 4, 2020

Listen on Spotify

Recently-posted album reviews

Ekko Astral

pink balloons
Topshelf (2024)

Their music is for people “who are struggling, who are at their absolute lowest". That’s a quote from vocalist and guitar player Jael Holzman talking to The Washington Post. Am I struggling? Am I at my absolute lowest? No. Have I had a bit of a rough patch? Sure (it’s not that bad- don’t worry about it mom). Work sucks, … Read more

Build Us Airplanes

All Things Expire
Sell The Heart Records (2024)

Build Us Airplanes covers a lot of ground on this 9 song LP, All Things Expire. It’s melodic punk for the most part, but with distinct elements of emo, post-hardcore and what I’ll call post-screamo, meaning there are somewhat jarring vocal shifts, but minus the blunt aggression. The overall vibe of this record is angry and somewhat somber, while still … Read more

Lustmord

Much Unseen Is Also Here
PELAGIC RECORDS (2024)

Lustmord, the reluctant pioneer of the dark ambient scene has returned with another expansive work of existential dread in Much Unseen Is Also Here. His arsenal of industrial components, field recordings, and sampling are engineered to evoke a true sense of cosmic horror. While many extreme music acts embrace the terrifying aspects of the Lovecraftian literary corpus, few can transmit … Read more