With its self-professed blend of “indie rock for the pop punk kids, pop punk for the indie rock kids,” Snow Ellet’s “Suburban Rock Star” was one of our favorite EPs of 2021. Now, on the heels of last November’s “Cannonball” (not a Breeders cover) and December’s “Boys Don’t Cry” (yes a Cure cover), Chicago-based Eric Reyes is coming at us with another extended play.
The five-song collection “Glory Days” its opening track, a ridiculously catchy emo-pop track called “19” that exists in continuum with bands like the All-American Rejects and Oso Oso. “19” leans harder into early ’90s Jesus Jones-style drum machines than previous Snow Ellet material, matching the stuttering programmed beat with power-poppy emo vocal hooks aplenty. The electric guitars also sound like hooks, fervently slicing or gracefully chiming depending on the needs of the moment. During the muted, lo-fi intro, Reyes begins, “The time passing is vital/ I thought I’d say 19 for a while/ I was wrong.”
It’s no coincidence that Snow Ellet’s sophomore EP is titled “Glory Days”. Where the debut suburban indie rock star was self-described as “indie rock for pop punk kids, pop punk for indie kids,” “Glory Days” leans into the latter, calling back to the heights of the genre. It’s the closest anyone’s come to capturing the youthful energy of bands like The Starting Line or Yellowcard at their peak. “I thought I’d stay 19 for a while / I was wrong,” Eric Reyes crows on the opening “19,” and though the world might keep spinning, “Glory Days” is a nice reminder that that childlike joy doesn’t have to go away forever.
The Fat Angel Sings 