On first listen, you’d swear the trio The Antics came out of some dreary old mill town in Northern England, playing alongside the early ‘80s bands on Rough Trade and The Factory.
In reality, this band is from Central Jersey and rather than being grizzled vets sharing stories about opening for Joy Division and Gang of Four, judging from their band photo, they are just years, if not months out of high school. Their six-song EP Send it Out, is impressive more in its influence than the actual songs here.
Yes, it’s decent Post-Punk that brings to mind the first couple of Echo & the Bunnymen records and The Cure, but the songs are easily forgotten seconds after they end. And it should be noted that Echo & The Bunnymen and The Cure both managed to evolve their sound over decades, whereas The Antics seem to just be borrowing a sound others created.
The band gets credit for going deep into the stacks for influences, but ultimately the EP isn’t strong enough to stick with – even with only six songs competing for your time.
The Antics – Send it Out/6 tracks/Northern Front Records/2014