The blue-green filter, the pink font, the familiar typeface — all diagnostic signs of a new Vista Blue concept release. This time, Mike Patton and crew take a swing at The Smiths’ The Queen Is Dead, reworking the song titles into baseball-themed pop-punk anthems. Bigmouth Strikes Again becomes Bigmouth Strikes Out Again — you get the drift. It’s a funny idea, but what really makes The Shift Is Dead great is the execution. This EP is packed with sugary, old-school pop-punk tunes that are impossible to resist. Take The Boy With the Motorola Patch on His Side — it’s a straight-up bubblegum rush.

I was born too late to fall for The Smiths, and my baseball knowledge is pretty basic, so I’m probably missing a few jokes here. But that’s beside the point. I know my pop punk, and Vista Blue are in top form in 2025. Don’t miss their Halloween-themed single, released the very same week.

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