Tyler Bray and Justin Ordonez started Humboldt in 2012. Back then the duo was writing songs in their bedrooms but soon got restless. They added more members including Kevin Burleigh, Martin Contreras and Paul Suniga in 2013 and started playing house parties. They just recently released their first EP entitled Fingers Crossed. The band fits pretty comfortably into the pop punk genre and the songs bring to mind bands such as Title Fight, Heart To Heart, The Get Up Kids and Saves The Day. It’s classic teenage angst singing about teenage topics such as heartbreak and “fitting in.” I enjoyed the production of the EP. It was a good mixture of raw lo-fi aesthetics with just enough polished production that they got a good sound. The drums are always essential and even more so in my opinion when it comes pop punk. They got a great drum sound, which automatically puts this EP above a copious amount of bands who play similar music. Humboldt has a lot of things going for them in a genre that is over saturated. The songs are well written and the band is showing some originality and promise. That being said they do play into a lot of the genre's clichés but get away with it because of the delivery. “Ruiner” opens up the record and is a solid start for the band. Gritty guitar, bass and pounding drums coalesce to create a suitable canvas for the vocalist to sing over. He sings, “I'm sorry I'm the disease that eats away your brain / I didn't want to rip the wound but our feelings ceased to stay the same.” The song is just over two minutes in length but packs a lot in. The second track “Pocket Change” hits hard and fast. They pelt you with a barrage of aggression and get better from there. The drumming is intense and drives the song with multiple timing changes. They close with “Pacific Point,” which solidifies the band’s talent despite the sophomoric lyrics. This isn’t a bad start for the band. They still have a lot to prove but they have built a solid foundation. Become A Fan
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