“Shattered! Shattered!” goes the hooky chorus of the stellar opening track on the debut EP from Lyon-via-Berlin quartet Spectators. The self-titled release is out now on Sorcerer, the DIY label whose head honcho also happens to play in the band.<\/p>\n
More importantly, Spectators rule in gloriously throwback fashion. Their sound lives at the intersection of pub rock and street punk, where power pop hooks spill onto the sidewalk and classic rock riffs blast through open barroom doors. It’s familiar territory, sure, but Spectators play it with enough conviction and energy to make it feel fresh again.<\/p>\n
While Shattered<\/em> initially reeled me in, the four songs that follow sealed the deal. The band even wrote the timely anthem for spectators everywhere watching billion-dollar football spectacles, complaining about the super villain company organizing the thing, and somehow still tuning in for the next match. The next time I catch myself complaining about a match, I’ll think back to these lines:<\/p>\n “Spectator, what a deadly game we played today \/ Sat on our ass and nothing changed in any way.”<\/em><\/p>\n The Spectators<\/em> EP is out now on tape.<\/p>\n