Erin Doyle 
If you are anything like me, you have been in mourning for the disbandment of Choke the Pope. But boy, oh boy, do I have some good news for you! Big Smack has entered the chat. The brainchild of Nick Vazquez, of the aforementioned iconic Seattle band, brings back two more Popes (or is it Chokes?), Sean Dwyer and Paul Davis, as well as some guests on various tunes. The 6-song debut EP, Stuck, is self-described as “fuzzy wuzzy,” which is an accurate read. The guitar on Stuck has that sweet, sweet, fuzzy/gritty/static sound to them while they’re still able to somehow come off as punchy and sharp. We start off HOT with “White Coat,” my favorite track on the EP. “I’m feeling alone like all the time and I want to die,” being the opening line is punchy. Like, get out of my diary, ya know? The repeating guitar riff on this song is just so dang tasty. “You don’t belong to me but I don’t want you to be someone else’s tonight,” again, get out of my diary!
“Perfect World” is a grandiose, grainy banger that encompasses depressive thoughts but with a sprinkle of hope. At least that’s how I’ve interpreted it. It’s one of those songs that fit so perfectly with a long, scenic drive where you’re both deep in thought and also completely disassociating. I might be getting too hyper-specific here, but I mean this as a high compliment. Those are the best songs. The opening lines, “In my perfect world, everyone else is confused/And it always feels like there is something to do/And in my perfect world I get to choose what gets to exist” are just SO good at setting the stage for the song’s overall theme. “In my perfect world, the finish line is always in view/and it always feels like there ain’t ever nothing to prove,” captures so much in only two lines. What a romantic world. The emotion in Nick’s voice in “Stuck” is an instrument in itself. I find myself getting “I am the Maintenance Man” stuck in my head often, but I’m not complaining. Honestly, all these songs are great. Go listen. Now.
However… my one complaint: post the lyrics!!! I need to know that I’m singing along correctly.
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