PSTCRDS – This Place Or Our Pace (EP Review)

Posted on April 29, 2020 by Tamara May

PSTCRDS – This Place Or Our Pace
Released: May 1st, 2020

Lineup:

Steven Reid // vocals
Henry Holzberger // guitar
Tom Pockett // guitar/vocals
Brad Reid // bass/vocals
Jack Stewart // drums

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Upcoming Newcastle pop punk act PSTCRDS may not have been around for very long, but they’re coming in swinging ready to showcase their energetic punk vibes to the Australian music community. To do this, they’ve teamed up with Windwaker’s own Chris Lalic and Liam Guinane from Reside for a 4-track EP debut called This Place Or Our Pace. Evidently, this young five-piece are here to claim their space in Australian pop punk on their own terms.

The EP kicks off with emotional upbeat track, ‘Meritless’, by way of a pummelling guitar intro reminiscent of the early 2000’s alternative/emo era and leads itself into a soaring heartfelt chorus. The track is an uplifting nudge at youthful anxiety experienced from a vulnerable age. This increases in energy on overzealous track ‘Change & Grow’ and you can instantly feel the overall mood has transformed. Those boys don’t take long to move on at all here. This song makes me want to blast in the car with windows down and driving along a highway (when isolation is over). What a mood!

This Place Or Our Pace is a retrospective for young adults coming-of-age. While ‘Change & Grow’ is hard-hitting and quite melodic, ‘Don’t Fake It’ is a light-hearted, bouncy track full of enthusiastic riffs as the band learns to stay true to themselves throughout their music. PSTCRDS have saved the best for last though. ‘Memories’ is the standout track by far, with its melodic guitars creating the perfect soundtrack that longs for summer. It is here also where they’ve invited Liam Guinane from Reside to share vocal duties, and his efforts just add to that nostalgic mid-2000s tone.

PSTCRDS have created quite an enjoyable debut here. This Place Or Our Pace captures the youthful essence of pop punk perfectly, whilst adding rebellious grit and staying current to today’s scene. This young five-piece are bringing fresh tunes to your pop punk playlist, and I’m looking forward to what else they have up their sleeves down the track!