Two years ago I reviewed Local Warming, the debut EP by Sun-0-Bathers. Two years have passed, but not much has changed for Sun-0-Bathers. I am not going to blame them for it. If you have a winning formula, why change it, right?
That winning formula for Sun-0-Bathers is straightforward 90’s skatepunk. Summer is the best time for releases of this type in my opinion, so, again, their timing is brilliant (Local Warming was released late spring 2018).
This time around we get slightly more songs. Seven to be precise. If you are now checking the track-list of Local Warming: that EP had an intro and outro. Those don’t really count as full on tracks. Floaters' closing track “Hate The Shade” could be considered as an outro, but with it's two minute runtime it would not do it justice regarding it as such. It is something of an experiment for the band it seems to me. Instead of the usual Epitaph-bands inspired tracks this is pure surf music. I dig it and feel that it adds to the summer-vibe I get from this album.
Sun-0-Bathers don’t bring anything new to the scene. That is not a big issue to me as the energy and unadulterated fun oozes from the record. My only criticism is that some patterns, vocal lines sound very familiar. Not because it resembles something one of those 90’s bands did, but because it sounds a bit too close to what they themselves have done on Local Warming. Check out “Overtime” from this EP and “Scott Radinsky” from Local Warming. I think you’ll understand what I am talking about. However, that is no big deal as far as I am concerned.
Oh, one more thing. This EP is a bit too short to my liking. I know EP’s are supposed to be short, but I want more! If you are like me after giving this EP a spin, I have some good news for you. Get Floater on vinyl and you'll find Local Warming on the B-side of the record . Check 'm out!