In a Pennsylvania punk scene thoroughly sated with twinkly emo revival bands, Philadelphia punks Glocca Morra offer a refreshingly straightforward alternative. Sure, their guitar riffs still feature occasional neck tapping, and their lyrics still speak of former girlfriends, wasted years and self-loathing, but there is nevertheless a refreshing quality to their music. Their new full length LP Just Married is their most accomplished release yet--11 short tracks of catchy, shout-along choruses, strained (but surprisingly un-whiny) vocals, and profanity-laced song titles. The briefest songs are also the best; the 2-minute opener demands to be sung along with, while the aggressive, Snowing-referencing "Why Am I Not Going Under Walter?" scans like an angry, drunk confession to best friend that you secretly love.
I think what I like most about Glocca Morra, as typified by Just Married, is that they veer so far away from taking themselves seriously that, as a listener, I can't help but feel like they're completely genuine. Their willingness to be silly also results in a lot of hilarious moments on this record, from the Dustin Hoffman photo on the cover to lines like, "Fuck dude, there's a black dog chewing on my neck!" This attitude is ultimately what's refreshing about this record. These guys are too good to be just another emo band, and frankly they seem too funny to actually be much of an emo band at all.
Just Married can be streamed in full at their bandcamp page and pre-ordered on vinyl from Kind of Like Records. The record officially drops July 10th.