This three song follow up to 2012’s four song EP finds local punk quintet Distances delivering a slew of hard-hitting, well produced punk radio classics. “Heavier Than You Know” includes call-and-response vocals throughout and a devastating low-end punctuation that balances nicely with melodic guitar. The other two tracks, “Apprehensive” and “These Arms” are in the same vein but slightly less interesting. If the goal is to create catchy-as-shit fist pumping anthems for the mall-crowd, Distances succeed. The immediacy of releasing EPs likely works best for the audience and the band, as an LP lacking in much needed diversity doesn’t seem like something the group is ready for. Does an LP even matter in 2014? Did it in 1978? Give the punks a souvenir from the live show, that’s all they really want, and that’s all that really matters.

Published in Volume 68, Number 21 of The Uniter (February 19, 2014)