No one does key changes anymore—at least that’s what I recently read somewhere. Something about them being less effective now that our zombie brains process music in ten-second bites via reels and shorts, never even reaching the reward stage of a well-timed key change. I’m not sure if Geoff Palmer got the memo, because 60 seconds into Exit Wounds, the opening track of his new Kodak Flash EP, he pulls the trick—and it works wonders. The song clocks in at just over 100 seconds, short and sweet, tailor-made for our deranged little attention spans.

But we shouldn’t be surprised. Geoff Palmer has always been the perfect antidote for zombie brains, delivering exactly the kind of ear candy we crave. Kodak Flash is classic Geoff Palmer, ready to be shredded to pieces and gobbled up by fans of his debut album. That said, this isn’t just a rehash of his Pulling Out All The Stops days. There’s a new depth to these pop punk gems—listen to those harmonies! Those sweet guitar licks! The songs are short and fast, but never feel rushed. They’re straightforward at their core, yet carefully shaped into something special by the group of musician friends he assembled: Palmer himself (vocals, guitar) is joined by Tyler Spatz (bass, backing vocals, synth), Paul Kennedy (drums, percussion), Zack Sprague (guitar, backing vocals), and Daniel James (lead guitar), with cameos by Kurt Baker and Kodak Flash producer/engineer/mixer Mike Kennerty.

It goes without saying that these songs are fun, and as always, the recordings sound like everyone involved had an absolute blast. Honestly, I wish this EP had six to eight more tracks. Rooting for this crew to do a full album like this!

Kodak Flash is out now on a single-sided 12″ via Stardumb Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Stardumb Records