Release Date: November 27, 2020
Genre: Pop-Punk, Punk Rock
Label: Little Rocket Records
Winnipeg pop-punk/punk rock quintet Elder Abuse has returned with their newest collection of music since their highly acclaimed 2017 debut album, Burnt. The Winnipeg band is made up of vocalist Alex Guidry, guitarist Michael Fardoe, guitarist Brandan McLean, drummer Max Power, and bassist Sean Kaye, and are steadily rising with every one of their releases. Elder Abuse has continued to be a staple in the Manitoba punk/pop-punk scene since their first appearance on a stage in Winnipeg circa 2012. Since making their live debut in the city, Elder Abuse has gone on to perform a slew of shows and since went on to release their 2014 debut EP Born to Lose, a split EP with Anchorless in 2016, and their aforementioned debut album Burnt in 2017.
Forming some eight years ago, the band is made up of members that currently perform or have performed in a few other Winnipeg acts. These include such acts as Daggermouth, Ceilings, Waster, Nice Cops, Louser, and many more. The members of Elder Abuse pay homage to the 1990s style of punk rock by blending their loves of the sub-genres of skate punk, hardcore punk, and pop-punk into one distinctive mix. The new, stellar three tracks from Elder Abuse are a perfect example of these genres mixed into one, as they’re a substantial blend of fast-paced punk, infectious melodies, and intricate musicianship.
The three new songs on Take It Easy are the band’s observations from this current apocalyptic-style world were living in with various narratives touching on a few different topics like getting older to more personal topics speaking on navigating their mental health. The title track opens the Take It Easy EP in a swift fashion. Featuring Chris Cresswell of The Flatliners and Hot Water Music delivering on guest vocals, the track is an immediate standout. Musically, “Take It Easy” is a fun track with its fierce pounding drums and wildly infectious melodies throughout its runtime. Guidry’s and Cresswell’s emotive vocals provide the final ingredient to the track. The following track on the album is “Morning Song.” I find that this second track is slightly more musically elaborate than the opening track, and “Morning Song” focuses more on the guitars than its predecessor. The song builds over time to come into its own and ending with a single, distinctive strum of a guitar chord. The third and final track is simply titled, “Bored.” While listening to this track -and of course the other two tracks- you’re left far from feeling bored. “Bored” is the perfect culmination to not only the EP but the band’s musicianship as it faultlessly combines their love of many sub-genres into one blistering track with the helpless sense of craving more than just these three new tracks from Elder Abuse.
Take It Easy is chock full of Elder Abuse’s finest work to date. It’s a quick three-track EP that unfortunately comes up just shy of nine minutes in length. It’s surely just a taste of what Elder Abuse is brewing up for further release down the road. Stay in touch with the band by visiting their social media in the links provided below and make sure to stream and purchase Take It Easy come November 27th.
Check out more from Elder Abuse: