The Midwest produces a lot of things. Corn, tornadoes, soybeans, punk bands… Chicago’s Whipped are another product of the area, and they really pick up the pace in their EP ‘Future No Brainers’. They play the kind of catchy punk that’s so visible these days, but with differences that make them stand out — especially in the EP’s lyrics. ‘Future No Brainers’ is loud and melodic, with vocals reminiscent of bands like None More Black.
It’s not quite a political record, but Whipped explain on their BandCamp page that they created ‘Future No Brainers’ as a “loose concept album centered around issues that will gather significant importance over the next half-century.” Songs about artificial intelligence, patent trolling, and the place of punk rock in today’s world are squeezed into just under 20 minutes on the six-song EP. Shouted vocals over the driving melodies bring the point home on each track. The band also supplies the lyrics to each song on their BandCamp, along with a short description of the ideas behind them; the style of music is easily recognisable, but it’s refreshing to see bands that put so much thought behind their lyrics and want their listeners to see it, too.
EP opener ‘The Singularity’ is a signifier of what’s to come; short and sweet, with gang vocals and whoa-ohs to sing along with, and a pounding beat to dance to. Third track ‘These Robots Are Kids’ stands out as one of the best on ‘Future No Brainers’, a song about what happens when artificial intelligence develops like-human intelligence — these robots are growing up along with us, so let them learn, because they’ll need “a little sympathy.”
The final track, ‘2050 Common Sense’, is the longest song on the EP, four and half minutes of advice for listeners over a steady drumbeat. “Check your facts when you go to speak, the devil’s in the details omitted from a hyperlink. Devour information so you can judge less, forget privacy.” Whipped bust out the horn section halfway through, and the ending fades out with a chorus of “whoa-ohs.”
Whipped self-released the EP in early May, but announced on May 20 that the EP would be available for free download on Death to False Hope Records, a North Carolina-based website run by Scotty Sandwich that offers free downloads from a host of great bands. The DTFH page for the record recommends it for fans of bands like Planes Mistaken for Stars and Small Brown Bike; and the influence is definitely there.