Party On, the debut record South Carolina’s Big Awesome, is a wonderful, accomplished record full of energy, emotion and enthusiasm. This band has produced a real gem with this 10-track emo record.
The chorus on ‘What Grows Up Must Get Down’ will go round and round in your head, whilst the riff for ‘Foliage’ is unbelievably catchy. Guitarist Colin Czerwinski’s twiddles remain consistent and impressive and never stray into overly-familiar territory meaning that Big Awesome always feel fresh.
There are hints of Glocca Morra laced throughout the record, which is always a wonderful thing. Bassist/vocalist John Blanken’s voice captures the essence of what Big Awesome are trying to do and his yell sits perfectly on top. Drummer Nathan Larson is consistently impressive, he keeps things interesting with plenty of fills and some offbeat jams but it never feels like he’s overplaying or overcomplicating anything. These songs feel really considered, they don’t feel unfinished or rushed. The production is raw and fitting for a DIY band and if it was any different the record would suffer as a result. Big Awesome have produced a really great, well thought out and perfectly executed record. It does exactly what they set out to do and it’s exciting to think of the future that lies ahead of them. This record should really introduce a lot of people to this band.
Released by small, family-run label Jetsam-Flotsam Records from Cary, Illinois, you can tell that this record is the product of friends and love. Big Awesome are a band for those summer days when you’re not quite ready for relentlessly happy songs, but you’re also not ready to wallow. They provide just the right amount of both.Â