Kids on a Crime Spree
We Love You So Bad EP
San Francisco, CA
“Gritty beach-sand rhythms and reverberating vocals”
Mario Hernandez is the mouthpiece to the anthemic San Francisco trio, Kids On A Crime Spree. Comprised of wayward DIY pop agents from the likes of From Bubblegum to Sky, Scrabbel and Ciao Bella, united they duck the traditional pop framework. The diverse backgrounds fortify the electric guitar-driven songs into the California surf punk domain. The ferocious gem “To Mess with Dynamite” is a rough shambling animal that bolsters yet another unanticipated turn.
Although the debut EP conveys haphazard, the casual attitude invigorates, adding to the beachcomber surf-rock authenticity. Noodling guitars, splashy drums and echoed lyrics spice the album into a California daze. With most tracks clocking in under three-minutes – insistent, like a series of opportunities – as one song begins to lull under a heavy din (“It’s in my Blood”) another clean canvas is poised to rush in and take its place.
The best facet of We Love You So Bad is its timing. Without question, the bass-drums-guitar indie rock trinity edges this EP into the summer soundtrack ranking. It’s a carefree listen and, as a murmuring Hernandez repeats indefinitely on “Impasto,” offers the listener a sliver of West Coast “Heaven.” (Slumberland Records)
Engineered, recorded, mixed and produced at CBS in the Karl Kardel Building by Kids On A Crime Spree // Mastered by Trax Work