The name had me thinking hardcore, and the inclusion of ex-New Mexican Disaster Squad only solidified that thought, but Gatorface plays pretty much straight-up pop punk with a strong 80s influence. The Gainesville band sounds more like 1980's California bands from the formative years of pop punk than it owes to its peninsula contemporaries.
This is the debut EP from the band that Paper + Plastick Records accurately sums up as "a mash up of 80's style hardcore meets pop punk." The band is heavy on power chord guitars, and the vocals utilize a slightly off harmonization with a snotty accent to their delivery. There are a lot of group vocals, but Alex takes the lead on all of the songs. His voice is more suited toward a harder style, and he doesn't exactly hit his notes on this release. The choruses are sort of catchy, but the off key harmonization makes them a bit less memorable.
For the most part, the band has me thinking of numerous 1980's west coast bands. The line about social security in "Sick and Stupid" reminds me of the Circle Jerks every time I hear it, but poppier 80's acts like the Descendents and Adolescents would be a better reference for the band's sound. As for contemporary influences, there's a bit of New Bruises to be heard and "Flak Jacket" sounds a little like Less Than Jake during their punker moments. However, Gatorface is less polished than any of the above. For the most part, think back when punk rockers were ugly, sweaty dudes who relied on MRR and Legion halls to get across the country without worrying about their cell phones, day jobs or, for that matter, their personal hygiene. The D.I. cover "Hang Ten in East Berlin" fits in seamlessly with the five originals.
In general, Gatorface do an adequate job of the style, with some nice hooks in "Cash/Grab," but they don't play anything wholly original. I'm sure it's a fun show and fans of their previous bands will take interest, but there just isn't that much on Sick and Stupid that interests me. I probably won't skip it if it pops up on random, but I'm not going to crave another hit either.
Allegedly, this is a beautiful piece of vinyl with some nice concept Horsebites artwork. Since Paper + Plastick doesn't think I need to see the entire product, I can't really say.
