Artist: We Are the Union
Album: Graveyard Grins
Genre: Punk/ska
Label: Paper + Plastick

We Are the Union have the following, rather telling phrase on their facebook – “Their love for fast music, horns and their incredibly short attention spans are a simple explanation for why WATU sound the way they do.” Tis a simple and very apt description. The band have taken numerous musical conventions and thrown them anarchically together, charged it up with a dash of brass instrumentation and then set it loose on an unsuspecting populace. To cram quite so much into an EP that’s about 10 minutes long is most impressive, and the short running time means you can’t but be intrigued by the quirky bravado that’s just sailed by.

“If I Can’t Smoke or Swear, I’m Fucked” has a textbook punk opening before unleashing the first blast of brass. I was listening to it at 10pm on a night that resembled the biblical flood in Dublin and, suffice to say, after getting drenched on my way home it was just the injection of energy I needed. It’s a relentless chug of spirited music cheekily spiced up by the addition of the horns, with fresh and lively guitars and a very enterprising solo. Indeed, it seems by the time it finishes that the vocals are hardly necessary.

“Do What You Love…” has a sombre, somewhat humbled tone to it initially. A morose guitar ponders idly, before the song reinvents itself and explodes into life. The vocals have a slightly stronger presence here and the breathless drums keep everything brisk and upbeat. The more reflective vibe does reappear later on, tempering the charge somewhat, but it remains playful, irreverent, and cheeky with the aid of the brass bombast. This track fades seamlessly into “…And Fuck the Rest,” a kind of casual yet swaggering instrumental. The guitar interplay here is particularly choice – one takes a conscientious high road while the other is more involving and chilled. It’s a simple effect but it makes for a rich and rewarding listen, before the EP’s final song whizzes into earshot.

“Thank You” has a very heavy, authoritative beginning that at first seems to distance the track from the preceding songs. It mellows however, with brash and quick riffs ably complemented by the reliable horns. It’s quite a rowdy and fun song, with something of a resurgent theme and plenty of bite in its lyrics. The band do put one foot slightly off-kilter when they introduce a random synthesized aftertaste, but it doesn’t outstay its welcome and the colourful, sharp instrumentation is all you’ll remember.

Therefore it stands to reason that Graveyard Grins is a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable release. Thematically suited to the season that’s in it, it’s certainly worth the bare few minutes of your time it’ll take up. If they can maintain and translate this magic into a full length they’ll certainly be going places, and their kookiness when it comes to the instruments is a treasure to behold.

SCORE: 9/10
Review written by Grace Duffy

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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