Review / 200 Words Or Less
Averkiou
Wasted and High

Sound Study Recordings (2009) Loren

Averkiou – Wasted and High cover artwork
Averkiou – Wasted and High — Sound Study Recordings, 2009

The title track on this 7" is a fitting sound, given its title. "Wasted and High" has a pop structure run through the wash, and the fuzzy guitars and calm delivery of singer Matt Brink would fit under the shoegaze label. On "No One's Holding a Gun to Your Head," the band adds more harmony to Brink's sleepy delivery. Meanwhile, the guitarists weave around each other's pedal work while James Hernandez keeps things in order with a steady beat. The song is overshadowed by the a-side, but comes across much stronger than the bonus track that follows on the downloadable bonus. "Jersey" is an acoustic song that screams emo, with slipshod lyrics about how "Staying in love can be a bitch

and

You take and you take," with backing "Oooo-ooo"s. The record would have been better off omitting this one completely.

5.1 / 10Loren • September 1, 2010

Averkiou – Wasted and High cover artwork
Averkiou – Wasted and High — Sound Study Recordings, 2009

Recently-posted album reviews

Deseos Primitivos

Lineas de Muerte
Shadowplay Records (2025)

Some reviews are written after years of listening to a band and knowing nearly everything about them. Sometimes I listen to a record on repeat for weeks before I even look up the correct song titles – Deseos Primitivos (Primitive Desires) is the latter. This promo came to SPB as literally a one sentence quote about the band and its … Read more

The Men

Buyer Beware
Fuzz Club Records (2025)

I wanna say the first time I heard Brooklyn NY’s The Men was back in 2010, ironically around the time I moved back to Vancouver, Canada from Brooklyn. I don’t recall having seen or heard of them when I lived there but that is not surprising. One of the reasons I moved back was that I wasn't going out much. … Read more

Detention

Dead Rock ‘N’ Rollers
Left For Dead Records (2024)

Life ain’t so easy in the detention home- Dead Boys. Emerging from the underbelly of Jersey, made up primarily of three brethren. Raised on rock and roll and sipping from the chalice of early punk rock stalwarts like Da Bruddahs from Queens, Hey Ho! and the Pistoleros of Sexual Nature screaming banshees from across from the large pond. Thus forging … Read more