by Patrick Pilch (@apg_gomets)
The first thing you need to know about Chicago’s Bursting is that they are a supergroup. With members of Stress Positions, Thou, C.H.E.W., and Coliseum (among others), it’s safe to say Bursting, on paper, rip. The second thing you need to know about Bursting is you need to see them live, in real life, so quit reading this review.
Bursting make menacing post-hardcore and it’s abundantly clear they’re having so much fun doing so. Not many bands feature Naruto runs in their music videos, and I’d bet even less make merch stickers in the Barbie font.
If you’ve ever enjoyed The Only Rock Radio Station In Your Area, Bursting is for you. Their music may remind you of bands like Quicksand, Hot Snakes, Jawbox, or Shiner, but it also may remind you of bands like Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, or Incubus. Bursting’s first EP is capital “A” Alternative rock; highly melodic yet crushing in a way that sheds light on its members’ projects and influence.
The lyrics on Bursting EP are lean and incisive. The band is in between a rock and a hard place on “Play it Nice,” a pummelling number on climate change and capitalist-induced complacency. “Plans to die damned / We’re born of systems made lies,” sounds vocalist Kortland Chase, “Doesn’t mean that we buy in but it’s the only shit being sold.”
Bursting’s brilliant use of negative space on “Play it Nice” makes their stop-go formula all the more effective, a technique used again for the finale of “Kiss the Dirt.” The band is best at writing parts and letting them interact. Bursting make space, then get real close. They flip the script, then say the same thing in a different way. Bottom line is Bursting always get the point across.
The third and final thing you need to know about Bursting is this all-too-short EP is a massive statement. As Kayhan Vaziri’s bass enters on leadoff “Trade in Time,” we quickly get an idea of just how big we’re talkin’. The first track is like an anteroom to standout track “Just Ghosts,” while “Good Likes” serves as Bursting’s thematic bookend. Fingers crossed for a full length, but in the meantime, get to the gig.