Beach Slang’s glorious and galvanizing debut album for in less than a half hour, it provides 10 righteous bursts of punk rock . All of them speak of being fucked up, being a fuck-up, or some combination of both. In seven of those songs, James Alex sings the word “alive,” in three others, he sings “young,” and there’s one song called “Young and Alive”. Eight mentions some kind of amplification—either turning yourself or the radio up. Oh, and the title is The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us, which sums it all up.
It’s the most passionate batch of love songs you’re liable to hear in 2015, and they’re all about a specifically anthemic form of punk rock. No band shows more belief in it as an agent of social change, but Beach Slang’s is the apolitical kind where the right song can unshackle you from self-doubt and pity to get you out of the house and be a part of the world—go meet somebody, go to show that makes you forget about all of your very real problems.
On The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us Alex commands you to pump up the volume on “Throwaways”. But if you’ve been impatiently waiting for someone to break through the year of self-conscious indie rock, “I Break Guitars” and “Ride the Wild Haze” make you feel like you’re part of Alex’s “us.” The album actually delivers on the title’s promise.
The Fat Angel Sings 