“I will have another drink for you.”
Big Hug are a three-piece rock band from London that orbit the emo, indie, and punk genres. Their debut EP Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time begins their canon with a quintet of upbeat songs. Bands like this have the small-venue circuit ahead of them, which might beg the question: is this just a curio for the merch table, or a ‘proper’ start point? As it turns out, Big Hug confidently provide a serious release, full of catchy tracks with a DIY-plus sound.
“Raise The Bar” kicks things off with a high tempo “bouncy” riff, and duetting vocals match the perkiness of the band. It’s got a really fun chorus with three or so distinct musical ideas going back and forth. They don’t get lost at the point of the bridge, either – “Raise The Bar” skips it entirely, and “Danny Is The Greatest Lover” pops in a quick guitar solo between in-jokey lyrics and gang vocals. “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time” starts out low-temp and fairly calm, and might have been the EP’s ballad if not for its gnarly bridge and outro. There’s a prevailing impression of a tight band who really nail the quick riff changes and cymbal catches. Furthermore, the detail that goes into the songwriting is what will make you come back to these tracks, elevating it from a straightforward pop punk experience toward something more unique.
Despite being a debut EP, it’s all frills on the recording front. The drums sound nice and boomy, vocals a little distant, but not without taking you out of the room. The guitar has this marvellous ’80s era Rush-like chorus nobody else seems to touch these days, which is undoubtedly a loss to the genre. It comes together professionally, smoothly, and with a sweet nostalgic air to it. This is all thanks to the recording job from Tom Hill at Bookhouse Studios, a relevant shout out, as he’s coming to define the sound of the UK emo scene through acts like The Yacht Club, I Feel Fine, and Brutalligators.
The single “All Yours” is the strongest track, Big Hug at their heaviest, with sheer riff-throughput to rival math rock acts. It’s a demonstration of their ability to weave verses toward a really satisfying chorus in less obvious ways. Once you’re finally there, the mood turns sombre (Gone, but never really left / I will have another drink for you”). It’s a great place to end the record, perhaps more bittersweet as the EP feels so brief at 15 minutes. Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time is a promising start for Big Hug, like a record by the support band you wished had gotten the headline slot.
7.5/10
Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time is set for independent release this Friday, March 3rd, and you can pre-save it here.