The first time I saw Nervous Talk, I felt like there was finally a new band that I actually cared about in Vancouver. It’s not that I don’t hear new bands that I like, it’s just that a lot of punk rock bands have been playing one of many particular brands that some doofus thinks is punk rock. The term itself has become pretty fucking subjective.

This debut single should be what you think of when you hear the term “punk rock,” or at least it is to me. With sounds close to the Buzzcocks, no songs over two-and-a-half minutes, and the casual, snotty attitude of aging adolescents (these guys aren’t teenagers anymore) we get their debut E.P. from Mammoth Cave Records out of Lethbridge, Alberta. Nervous Talk include members of Timecops, the Ballantynes and some red-haired kid with freckles from Alberta.

The A-side, “Introductions,” is so strong it almost makes it unfair to the flip. It’s a mid-tempo bopper about the annoying guy in the room and as far as I’m concerned, it’s a doozy of a punk charmer.
Side B kicks off with the amphetamine-fed “Shut It Off” and doesn’t let up with the frustrated chord progression in the chorus. “Hit The Floor” is the last and lines up like the Briefs covering a Ramones song you’ve never heard.

The lo-fi production complements the material rather than just joining the (hopefully dying) trend of crap records and crap bands that seem to dirty their recordings to cover up the fact that they actually suck. Great debut. Looking forward to what’s next.