No Tagbacks, but you are allowed throwbacks on debut EP “Good Old Days”

With summer finally here in this hemisphere (or already present if you’re here in the midwest), we tend to get nostalgic for the simpler times in our lives, particularly during our schooling years where responsibilities like homework and science fair felt insurmountable at the time. Well, school’s out for summer and forever for Chicago-based pop-punk duo No Tagbacks, who have just released their debut EP “Good Old Days” after graduating from college. Evan Douglas Peters (guitar/vox) and Christian George (bass) have been cooking these tracks over the last 5 years while juggling schooling, multiple jobs, several moves, and the types of shifting relationships that happen when you’re going through all of this together.

“The lyrics deal with the big picture. At the time, I was finishing college and trying to figure out exactly what I wanted my future to look like. When it comes to lyrics, I try to think about the ideas and things that my experiences illustrate, rather than just recounting the experiences themselves. I think that helps keep the storytelling more relevant.”

The label pop-punk is perhaps the most immediate and apt genre to assign to the duo, but don’t assume like I did jumping into this that that’s all they have to offer. That may be the overall vibe, but the duo is not afraid to branch out and experiment. Over eight tracks and around twenty-three minutes, the duo dip their toes into acoustic-driven rock ballads, power pop, ska punk, and even some alternative metal-type grooves and blast beats at one point. In conjunction with that pop punk vibe, the feelings of reflection are heavy throughout, bringing home those wistful feelings of youth and freedom mixed with growing responsibilities and trepidation over the future you lay out while in your college years. What helps to communicate these qualities most effectively is the fun you can tell was had while crafting all of these songs. Even with four different guest drummers/percussionists on board, an extra session guitarist, and the full horn section on the ska-punk number, everything feels cohesive and earnest without ever becoming stiff or forced. Surely the songwriting prowess and musicianship that Evan and Christian offer ties things together, with Christian’s steady bass work locking in with everyone else to provide a comfy musical hammock on which Evan can rest. 

While the EP starts with the energetic and straight-ahead pop-punk numbers “No Sleep” and “.mov” (complete with a sing-a-long bridge for the home audience), things immediately get weird in the best of ways on “Come Out And Play”. This feels like a song where the duo threw their hands at the mixing console and said, “OK, but how about THIS?” and it all just kept working. A dissonant, mechanical verse and mewling vocals keep building and building into a metal number until guest drummer Courtney Mathews explodes with a flurry of blast beats and double bass. Definitely my favorite track overall because it just should not work here but it does in a hilariously unceremonious and effortless way. We get back on track with title track “Good Old Days”, another highlight with a very satisfying driving bassline carrying the soaring guitars forward. Acoustic ballad “If I Never Left You In Illinois” remains a sincere testament looking back to the origin of the scars leftover from a failed relationship. Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not mention how much of a banger the ska-punk track “Never Gonna Die” is. You’ve gotta experience this one live.

With summer fast approaching in this hemisphere (or already present if you’re here in the midwest), we tend to get nostalgic for the simpler times in our lives, particularly during our schooling years where responsibilities like homework and science fair felt insurmountable at the time. Well, school’s out for summer and forever for Chicago-based pop-punk duo No Tagbacks, who have just released their debut EP “Good Old Days” after graduating from college. Evan Douglas Peters (guitar/vox) and Christian George (bass) have been cooking these tracks over the last 5 years while juggling schooling, multiple jobs, several moves, and the types of shifting relationships that happen when you’re going through all of this together.