by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Portland trio Help are getting ready to release their self titled debut EP on June 7th, and while the members have each spent their time in countless other bands (including Portugal. The Man), this is most definitely a new beginning. Moving away from the indie pop and psych of their past, the band lean into their punk and post-hardcore influences with a sense of urgency, like it has been waiting to spew out into the world. Their missions seems to be about putting the power back in the hands of the people, and third single “Skeletons” is a rallying cry to say a big fuck you to the opposition as they remind you, “he’s not gonna hug you, he’s not gonna cry,” which almost sounds like a challenge. The guitars rip and tear on top of a blanket of crashing cymbals and stuttering rhythmic force, the whole band sliding downward on loose ground. It’s urgent and aggressive but it feels more thought provoking than it does destructive. Maybe that is Help reminding us that you need both brains and brawn in the fight for justice and equality, or maybe it’s just a good punk song… you be the judge.