It’s so easy to forget just how enthralling punk-rock can be, simply because it’s done incorrectly so often. To be simple is not to be stupid, nor vice-versa, and there’s a delicate balance to the genre many aren’t even aware of. Frozen Teens skirt this invisible line skillfully by way of an infectious strain of pogo-punk that propels itself forward naturally and is imbued with enough gold-star melody to earn brownie points. “Footsteps” lulls you to sleep with a field-music intro then smacks you in the grill with a power-poppin’ punch and a shitload of ride cymbal and toms. It’s a juicy one, but “Oakland” is the gusher, almost like Fresh & Onlys (which I certainly appreciate) in its incisive simplicity, albeit delivered with the pedigree mentioned above. Such a contrast to the flip you wonder in which the direction the band is headed… —Tiny Mix Tapes
