Audio By Carbonatix
The marriage of punk and roots music was consummated long ago, but the relationship hasn’t stopped working, and the Knew know it. Holladay, the trio’s new EP, which debuts on Friday, July 20, at a Larimer Lounge gig with Lionsized and American Relay, is lively, raucous and smart enough to get out while the getting’s good.
“It’s on Fire,” the disc’s opener, flares up quickly, with guitarist/vocalist Jacob Hanson wailing about “all the cool, cool people” while fellow six-stringer Tyler Breuer riffs it up and drummer Patrick Bowden shows how sturdy a rickety beat can be. “Salazar” varies the formula with some chain-gang moaning, while “He’s a Thief” offers a tempo as speedy as the wordplay (“Run as fast, as fast as you can/From this man who’s not a man/ He’s a thief!”).
The disc, recorded with Hot IQs’ Brian Feuchtinger, sports just five songs and ends in under sixteen minutes. Fortunately, it’s time well spent.
