Posted on: January 17, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Autonomadic – The Missionary / 2007 Bleeding Ear / 7 Tracks / http://www.autonomadic.com /

Apparently we had a chance to review a song from Autonomadic (“Pig Tails”) when we reviewed the “Punks and Pints” compilation a few years back. The review given then is still accurate – Autonomadic play a style of punk music that is catchy as all get out. Unlike their “Pig Tails”, it seems as if the band is purely fueled by the punk of acts like Rancid and Dropkick Murphys, rather than any alternative music. “The Missionary” is pure streetpunk, and the sub-two minute track sets the stage for the rest of the disc. “Nothing” is one of the longer tracks on “The Missionary”, and it throws in a little bit of distortion and fuzz into the mix.

While the sloppy vocal style (think Tim Armstrong) is still present during “Nothing”, the hints of brooding emotionality present in the instrumentation give Autonomadic a depth that few bands can actually achieve on an LP, much less a seven song EP.  “Funny Farm” continues with this slightly strung-out sound, and allows a slower sound to snowball into something much more catchy and quick by the time that the band gets to the chorus. In fact, it may be “Funny Farm” that distinguishes the band from all the other acts currently out in the scene. The pit-worthy chorus is reminiscent of The Pissants and I Live With Zombies. The 15-plus minutes of “The Missionary’ are enough to get a good idea of who the band is, what they want to do, and how they are going to do it, but it is something that is just too short – I want to hear more, damn it! If you are a fan of any style of punk music, Autonomadic is an act that you have to search out. Whether it be for their depth or their catchiness, they should be a band everyone checks out.

Top Track: Funny Farm

Rating: 8.5/10

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