Bands break up all the time. Sometimes they blow up on stage, storm off from a tour, grow apart, and on occasion they cordially agree that it's time to move on. In any case, they almost always leave fans wanting more. The Ergs! decided to hand one to their fans, announcing their decision ahead of time and releasing a 12" single to give fans one last piece of wax. That's It
Bye is the band's swan song, delivering three quick, poppy, and Descendents-heavy jams.
If you haven't heard the band, it's time you check them out. The single is a solid representation of what the band does, but I'd have to point towards a full length if you have the money to spare. With the opener, "Anthem for a New Amanda," singing drummer Mikey jumps in with powerful melodies and an emotional delivery. His voice walks a fine line between four-eyed nerd and snotty punker. This song is really held together by the rhythm section. Jeff offers some nice hooks and a solo, but the prominent basslines from Joe Keller really carry the energy. And, yes, with a fiancé named Amanda there's a little more for me to dig about the song, even if it's not remotely personal to me.
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And the True Believers" is another Descendents-style song with a strong rhythm, a little more guitar in the mix than the previous song, and clear, emotive vocals from Mikey. He's got a knack for delivering his lyrics as catchy as possible. Something that strikes me about The Ergs! is, despite their poppy nature, they rarely use backing vocals. As Mikey repeats the chorus over the last few seconds of the song, the heart-on-sleeve conveyance comes across more personally without the others chiming in with harmonies.
"Piltdown Man" is a bit more of a guitar track with Jeff taking over the singing, with a shaky voice and some background "ahhs." Again, one of the band's strengths lies in their ability to make vocal melody while keeping up the steady Ramones-punk beat and doing so without succumbing to chanting slogans. Jeff does an admirable job with this song and it's among my favorites I've heard with him at the helm.
And, in eight short minutes, that's it. This record feels like it's over too fast, much like the band...and I want more.
