New York alternative punk trio EndAnd have crafted an entertaining listening experience in their first official LP, Mechanics & Energetics of Stilt-Running. Just barely breaking 21 minutes in length between its 11 tracks and with styles ranging from fast, angry punk to catchy melodic rock, Mechanics makes for a blur of a journey through a variety of styles that EndAnd is completely in control of.

Immediately upon visiting the opening track, “At Fault’s End,” one thing stands out above anything else: the production is very muddled. There is a very raw, practice space-like quality to the sound, and whether or not that was intentional, fortunately it actually manages to work in accentuating the style of the band. However, I would love to hear a more polished version as the band’s direction shows a lot of potential but that putative lack of quality can be off-putting. Howbeit, between the passion evident in the vocals and the cohesive elements of the instrumentation, you can tell that these three guys love to jam together as EndAnd, which ultimately is the best quality of Mechanics & Energetics of Stilt-Running – the connection.

Tracks like “I Love You Soon” and “It’s A Miracle Gone” don’t even meet a minute in length which is a shame as they may be two of the more diverse efforts on the album. “It’s A Miracle Gone” is pure punk rock intensity. Blazing fast delivery, angsty vocals, and a drum beat begging for a two-step – what more can you ask for?

“Snow Song” is one particular contribution that really shows the range of talent in this three-piece. Mike Morales’ drumming shines through while the vocal harmonies from Daniel Fern and Bill Fitzgerald set up the build nicely before the track explodes into a punk influenced romp. Even being one of the album’s longer tracks, it feels as though it goes by far too fast. This is one I especially would’ve enjoyed some more length on. (That’s what she said?)

Mechanics & Energetics of Stilt-Running is a great introduction with a lot of promise from this Brooklyn outfit. Displaying their talents individually as well as their ability to meld effectively as a band, EndAnd have shown that they are a punk force to keep an eye on. With progression and focus, they’ll be on all dates of the popular festival tours in no time. Not Warped Tour though. They stray away from punk these days.

SCORE: 7/10

Review written by: Brian Lion – Follow him on Twitter

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Brian Leak

Editor-In-Chief. King of forgetting drinks in the freezer. Pop culture pack rat. X-Phile. LOST apologist.

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