Review
Western Settings
Yes It Is

When listening to a band you’ve never heard of, it’s a lot easier to make all those “sounds like” comments. Whether that’s why I think Western Settings sounds so much like some familiar favorites, or if that’s because they really do, well, that’s maybe beside the point anyway. It’s punk rock, man. There’s supposed to be a touch of derivation in it.

When I listen to Yes It Is, there’s a solid, familiar backbone to it. It’s melodic but heavy, with Iron Chic-esque soaring vocals, RVIVR-style sing-alongs, and Hot Water Music gruff vocal cues complemented by rhythmic guitars. Throw it all in a blender and drink it down.

Smooth.

Er, I apologize for that analogy too. The point is that Western Settings may show their influence, but it comes from some of the better voices in the game and it works well. While there are strong elements of each of those bands, that amalgamation pulls together its own product. Yes It Is is definitely sing-along/crowdsurf punk that will appeal to fans of those bands (and alienate those who don’t), but they sound just like the sum of those parts, with some occasional New Bruises peppiness worming its way in there.

“RevHead” uses some bells in the background to set it apart, but the true highlights are the more gruff-vocal songs that still pull into that soaring chorus style, such as “Goodbye,” which have some serious Chuck Ragan tones. It’s punchy like the best of Hot Water Music, but still direct and enthusiastic. Occasionally the choruses can get a bit repetitive, but that’s really the only downside to this 25-minute record besides the familiarity of the sound.