Previous to this EP, I had not heard of Lovejoy. With over 700k Instagram followers and over two million Spotify listeners I an genuinely surprised they slipped through my radar for so long. The band has already garnered all the hype they need for this release, including their latest tour making stops at Governor’s Ball, Lollapalooza, and Shaky Knees Festival. If you’re like me and new to this band, the music speaks for itself. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been there since day one or are just joining the bandwagon now – Lovejoy are doing stellar things with the music they’re making and deserve every bit of praise they receive.
This new EP, out today, is titled Wake Up and It’s Over. It contains six songs, which is the perfect format for this release. Every track feels exciting and bleeds into the atmosphere of the next without staying too long. It’s short but concise; a deeply satisfying listen. You can listen to it straight through and feel like it is a complete release and like it didn’t waste any second. Lovejoy executes their vision with a flawless level of dedication making every track feel like an instant hit. There isn’t a weak link on the EP. As the listener, you will continue to be impressed and enjoy the entire runtime. Especially in 2023 where releases are getting shorter and shorter, it can be hard to keep an audience’s attention for long and keep them fully engaged throughout an entire release, but Lovejoy does it with ease. (We’re dying to know what the band will do next.)
Sound-wise, the band creates something special with these songs. Calling it indie rock or alternative rock is doing the music a disservice. It’s got pieces of every genre under the rock umbrella embedded in it. Wake Up and It’s Over transcends a genre and the only way one could describe it is just as good music. Lovejoy threw in bits of punk, funk, surf rock, grove rock, and everything in between, but this melting pot of genres does not detract from the band’s identity.
Lovejoy is firm in who they are and this overwhelming confidence is why the release works so well. The guitar work also deserves special praise. Riffs take the forefront when the song requires it, then return to the background when the vocals have something to emphasize. The band comes across as being copacetic and in tune with each other. Everything about this EP signifies a band amplifying their signature sound fearlessly.
“Portrait” opens this release with a studded bass line. The track moves forward with an incredible pace, and its power and rhythm make it the perfect song to listen to when you are strutting around feeling confident. “Call Me What You Like” reminds us of if Alex Turner (from the Arctic Monkeys) and Matty Healy (from the 1975) co-wrote a song together. The chorus is so impressive it caught me off-guard. “Consequences” feels airy and light-hearted despite containing darker lyrics. This one is a perfect summer track to drive to with the windows down, sun on your face. It feels cheeky and irreverent in such a fantastic way.
“Warsaw” is yet another perfect depiction of the band’s sound as it masters all the genres they play with. This lyric, “You’re too straightedge to get it,” is a funny and clever line that made me physically smile when I first heard it. “Scum” is almost a straight up punk track that displays a level of aggression from the band that is a welcome surprise. Despite this rawness, the track also feels fun, which is a difficult thing to balance. The finale closes it off with the song “It’s Golden Hour Somewhere.” This one… all we can say is that it is the only way to end this record.
Overall, Lovejoy’s new EP, Wake Up and It’s Over, is invigorating. It says what it needs to say and sticks the landing impressively. It is a summer release through-and-through and you’re foolish if you decide to skip this one.
WAKE UP & IT’S OVER IS OUT TODAY WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC!
