For punk fans, Revolution Summer is a critical event in the genre’s history. The early 1980s hardcore scene in Washington, DC, is one of the critical chapters of the punk story, but by 1984, the scene had soured. The term is attributed to Amy Pickering, a Dischord Records employee. Her edict revitalized the scene and challenged the sexism and violence plaguing shows. The rise of bands such as Rites of Spring, Embrace, Beefeater, Dag Nasty, and Soulside are credited with critical evolutions of punk’s sound. For students of the scene, this is the birth of emo, and members of these groups went on to rule the landscape of 1990s indie in bands like Girls Against Boys and Fugazi.
The Revolution Summer sound is the starting point for Detroit-based melodic hardcore ensemble Big Life, but they quickly make it their own across two inspired, brief EPs full of hooks and positivity. Their high-energy restlessness is reverent to the past but has its eyes forward. These two EPs show are as likely to resonate with scene veterans as they are fans of newer bands carrying the melodic hardcore torch, like Praise and Truth Cult.
The self-titled EP opens with “Personal Best”, driven by a desperate energy that recalls Rites of Spring. “Your Truth” is a gem that will please fans of Dag Nasty. Another highlight is “Black Ice”, an atmospheric, mid-tempo slow burn. “Waste This Time with Me” is a pop song that recalls later-period Hüsker Dü. “Everybody Kiss” is lifted by a relentless riff and shouted vocals. Lead singer Dan Nixon’s vocals have a dash of early Bob Mould, which suits the material perfectly. Ryan Allen, who also fronts power pop juggernaut Extra Arms, wrote much of the music, and as a student of the genre, he puts his own spin on classic 1980s indie rock.
If the self-titled EP is a blast of punk rock optimism, If You Like Bad Ideas, It’s a Very Exciting Time is the moodier counterpart. Across six tracks, it ruminates on mortality and the state of the world. The title seems like a hat-tip to Superchunk‘s similarly themed primal scream, What a Time to Be Alive. From the first listen, it is apparent Big Life are solidifying their sound, building on the posi-core of the first EP and embracing a heavier sound without sacrificing energy or hooks.
“Here for a Moment” starts things off with a thicker, more aggressive sound but hinges on a big hook and Nixon’s call to action, “We’re only here for a moment.” “Bias for Action” is a seething critique of armchair activism with some memorable one-liners. “Adds Up to Nothing” revisits that melodic, Hüsker Dü-informed sound from the first EP.
This record was written with all members participating, and Big Life’s musicians have extensive resumes in the punk and indie music scene. They draw upon the Great American Indie and Punk songbook, but rather than being hemmed in by punk rules, they blend in the other music they’ve absorbed to avoid sounding like a tribute to a bygone time. They are music lovers first and foremost, absorbing diverse influences to create music informed by the past but not beholden to it. For those who like their hardcore with hooks and intelligent, witty lyrics, Big Life deliver big time.