Poppies demonstrate effortless focus in their debut EP, Good.
There’s a fine line between a band sounding effortless and sounding lazy. Sometimes a band sounds like they aren’t trying very hard because they don’t want to put in the extra effort to sound good. Others — like New York’s Poppies — sound like they aren’t trying very hard because of their undeniable chemistry. While Poppies’ debut EP, Good, delivers effortless pop-rock tunes and easy-going vibes in spades, their focused songwriting clearly shows that they are anything but lazy.
There isn’t any wasted space on the Good EP. Every decision seems carefully planned. The song lengths all feel right, and the simple musical motifs never become repetitive. Furthermore, Poppies maintains a charming sense of humor throughout the EP. Its title and the cover’s intentional typo indicate the band’s cheekiness before the music even plays, and the sass continues into the lyrics, particularly the first two tracks (“Call you back, but only let the ring ring twice” might be the wittiest lyrical wordplay of 2017 so far).
There really isn’t much criticism to level against this EP. The only distinct moment I didn’t like was the escalating vocalizations at the end of “Devin,” and I didn’t feel some of the lyrics’ nihilism to be particularly edifying. However, these minor flaws don’t hinder the EP from being an enjoyable listen. The band’s tightly focused composition and laid back atmosphere drown out any complaint I may have with the release. If anything, Poppies do themselves a disservice by calling their debut EP Good when it is, in fact, great.
7.5/10
Check out Poppies on Facebook and Instagram. You can stream and purchase Good below. Poppies are playing at Sunnyvale in Brooklyn on Friday, August 18th.
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