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The Gun Show Must Go On is a three-song precursor EP to We Are the Union's eventual debut full-length for their new label, Paper + Plastick, and works quite well on two fronts -- it serves as both a solid introduction to the band for new listeners and a tiding over for fans already digging WATU's brand of pop-punk with horns first forged on their self-released 2007 full-length, Who We Are.

Despite being just a three-song digital EP, however, The Gun Show Must Go On gets off to a curious start with "We Don't Care If Yesterday Burns, Stoke Up the Fire," a song that seemingly sees We Are the Union utilizing the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach, cramming just about everything (crunchy, catchy guitar parts, quick horn lines in the bridge, solid vocal harmonies, plenty of subtle tempo changes and even a few ska-tastic upstrokes) that the band does into a near-four-minute song. The end result isn't bad by any means, but it definitely would have been better served as the final song on the EP.

The other two songs here are much more focused, and better for it. The sped-up tempo and huge, bouncy refrain of "Rearranging Deck Chairs on the Titanic" are definite highlights, as is vocalist Reed Wolcott's performance; his confident, clean vocals are awfully reminiscent of those of Steve Rawles of Belvedere, fitting the tone of the backing music perfectly. The horn section is more prominent in "Five Out of Five Kids Who Kill Love Slayer" and its infectious chorus, well-placed "whoa-oh"s and bombastic ending make for a satisfying listen; that one's surely going to be fun in a live setting.

Hopefully the sequencing on We Are the Union's upcoming full-length will be better, but The Gun Show Must Go On is a quick, fun listen that ought to whet the appetite of those looking for such a thing, and continues the string of quality releases from Paper + Plastick.



People who liked this also liked:
We Are the Union - Who We AreLess Than Jake - Hello RockviewOperation Ivy - Operation IvyAndrew Jackson Jihad - People Who Can Eat People Are the Luckiest People in the WorldDescendents - Milo Goes To CollegeTeenage Bottlerocket - Warning DeviceHellmouth - Destroy Everything. Worship Nothing.Bomb the Music Industry! - ScramblesThe Riot Before - Fists Buried in Pockets [2]H2O - Nothing to Prove



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    Posted by CBSrocksteady on 2009-05-21 19:44:56

    this is a great record and a great band. i will say however i don't find their song titles being other various lyrics to be that appealing. lets see some creativity! besides my minor discontent, great music. support these guys! as for the review, good call on the Belvedere vox. I have ALWAYS said that about We are the Union.

    Posted by lessthangene on 2009-05-21 10:26:52
    My Score:

    solid band and solid EP. i saw these dudes the other night and they we really tight and everything sounded really good. seriously catch these dudes if you get a chance.

    Posted by ReedAreTheUnion on 2009-05-19 23:46:15

    I know I'm biased, but if all you hear is Less Than Jake in these songs, I have to say pity your knowledge of punk music. Come on dude, haven't you heard of Rehasher?
    ;)

    Posted by mikexdude on 2009-05-19 20:18:43

    Lose the horns and the upstrokes and maybe.

    Posted by Cos on 2009-05-19 20:17:02

    Edit: Less Than Jake DRUMMER.

    Posted by Cos on 2009-05-19 20:16:25

    Less Than Jake releases a record by a band that sounds like Less Than Jake. Shocker.

    Posted by onegirlarmy on 2009-05-19 19:34:33
    My Score:

    Really damn good EP, very catchy and definitely leaves me wanting more. Their full length was good and this is surely a sign of things to come for WATU.

    Posted by icapped2pac on 2009-05-19 18:45:28
    My Score:

    Semi-boner. Can't wait to hear the full length though...and finally catch them live like I've been saying I'd do for the last year.

    Posted by switcharoo on 2009-05-19 15:12:46
    My Score:

    dumb band name, dumb song titles, I didn't think there could be a band more vanilla than set your goals but I stand corrected

    Posted by Matthew330 on 2009-05-19 14:24:22
    My Score:

    I like the addition of the saxophone in their recordings, but wish the horns were a little more prominent in the mix.

    Reviewer is dead on about the first song, too.

    Posted by ilikeilike on 2009-05-19 13:21:46

    Is it me or does the singer in WATU sound exactly like the singer in The Swellers?

    Posted by MeeSTa3k on 2009-05-19 12:34:28
    My Score:

    Score is for their debut EP. This one is good, too, though.

    Posted by IanIsSuperRad on 2009-05-19 11:54:24
    My Score:

    This is really fucking good.

    Posted by Jo_punk_promoter on 2009-05-19 01:19:39
    My Score:

    Good EP, cant wait for the full length! Paper Plastick is a really good label, all of their acts are really good and worth a listen

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