EP Review: Good Friend – The Erin Rose EP

The Newcastle based, but Irish born, trio Good Friend have just released the triple threat that is “The Erin Rose EP” via Red Scare Industries, whilst the name and album title don’t scream punk rock at you, and the cover seems to allude to Pennywise (the demented clown, not the band) with a different colour scheme, this is not a predictable release, from the vinyl pressing onwards this is a surprising EP. Whilst those in the digital age won’t appreciate it, the single is pressed so that one side plays at 45 RPM whilst the flip side is on 33 RPM, presumably just to mess with your head when you flip the single over and forget.

‘Erin Rose Drinks On Shift‘ appropriately enough kicks off the EP, the track has a warm feeling comforting feel, not dissimilar to that imbued by day time drinking. ‘We’ll Burn That Bridge When We Get To It‘ brings the pace down, the slow burning track builds to an anthemic chorus before easing back down again, with ‘Rusted Friends‘ serving as the album’s finale, a slow burning acoustic track that recalls the grunge scenes mellower moments. Each song on the “The Erin Rose EP” brings it own character into the mix, with a sound that recalls elements of everyone from Alkaline Trio, The Flatliners and Millencolin to Bush and Nirvana.

Good Friend, with fingers crossed more in hope than any actual faith in our government not making a bollocks of everything, have a run of UK shows with Red City Radio planned in Spring 2021, which hopefully means they’ll be playing “The Erin Rose EP” live where music belongs and should be heard, but I’m not counting my chickens on that front just yet. In the meantime “The Erin Rose EP” delivers three songs in a nine minutes, it feels longer, not because of the quality of the EP, but rather that on the three tracks on display there’s a lot going on, three songs which each showcase a different facet of the band and makes Good Friend one to watch in 2021.

“The Erin Rose EP” can be streamed and purchased here