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Portland, ME's Weakened Friends are back with their brand new EP titled "Crushed". The 6 song collection is a rock solid collection of tunes constructed with an indie minded aesthetic that brings to mind a young version of The Pixies with their own unique sensibilities to add to the fray that really blasts through in living color.
We start things off with "95" a steady, steaming rocker with the enchanting vocals of Sonia Sturino that sets things in motion pretty quickly, and keeps you in check throughout the entire duration of the song and is only a harbinger of things to come. "She's So Cool" is a more toned down piece than the prior one, with a more streamlined approach that shows the trio's ability to switch between tempos at any given moment, and presents more musical diversity as well which is a must needed characteristic for any band to possess. "Crshd" is one of the more rhythmically intense tracks found on the album, with stellar guitar riffs and ridiculous drum work from Cam Jones who adds a strong backbone to the group as acts as a harmonic beacon for the other members to pass through and create a musical delight that you can't help but to devour entirely right in front of you.
The second half features "Blankets", a toned down rocker that shows a softer side of the group with toned down melodies and stellar bass licks from Annie Hoffman that gives the song some edge and pizazz that make the group hard to beat and one to keep on repeat to really drive home the group's message. "Stumble" is an old school styled rocker with a solid musical foundation that allows each member to function at the highest creative level possible, and all remain on the same page musically without losing a step. "I Don't" ends everything here with a riveting track that encapsulates everything we've hard so far, and closes things out much like the way we started and see the musical travels we've undertaken to get to this point. I first encountered Weakened Friends outside of my workplace in Watertown during my lunch break, and I was enthralled with their stage presence and how comfortable they looked from an audience perspective, and they really seem to geuninely love playing with each other and reveal their talents to an open and willing audience. This is only the beginning for a band that is going to find their musical stride in no time.
EP Score: 4/5
Track Listing:
1. 95
2. She's So Cool
3. Crshd
4. Blankets
5. Stumble
6. I Don't