An Addicting Garage and Pop-Punk EP from 37 Houses

A brand-new EP release from 37 Houses just dropped, and this thing delivers some pretty impactful and powerful blends of pop-punk, post-punk, indie rock, hints of garage, and plenty more, all coated with this sort of pop sensibility and riddled with personality throughout the entire thing.

The Strangers EP doesn't waste a lot of time kicking off with the title track, already giving you some catchy guitar hooks, and introducing you to some of the great staples that the entire release embodies.

So, "Strangers" starts with that sort of lead guitar hook that's played on single notes, and this is one of the things that you'll hear pretty fluently throughout the record. While that's happening, there are chords being played underneath it that give you the progression. The drums come in and give this great groove but also hints of that classic garage-pop style, keeping things in the pocket but also giving a sense of liveliness to the entire track.

The track comes through with some great little breakdowns that give you rises and falls of intensity, letting the song sort of exhale back down before coming in with bigger climactic sections again. During those calmer parts, it focuses a little more on the bass guitar tone and the vocals.

That bass guitar tone is classic punk rock, and I love how it feels with the rest of the song.

The vocals are pretty robust, and the singer has a knack for belting with some soul, which really adds a very unique layer to the music itself. She's got a bountiful vocal approach that sort of pulls you in and lets you pay attention to the lyrics as well.

Like some of the other tracks on the record, this song also sort of grows in intensity as it plays out. By the time you get to the last chunk of the song, everything is full force, and it comes through with a massive presence.

The second track is called "Jealous", and this one is way more pop punk, in my opinion. It comes right in with a classic punk riff. Again, you could hear that bass guitar just thriving in this and driving the song along, and some of the edgier tonalities.

It's easy to tell that there is alternative rock infused in this entire record, and this track starts really introducing that more full throttle.

I love the way this one places through because it's a little more straightforward and has a very catchy progression and vocal hook, even during the verses.

You can also start hearing some more personal attributes in this track lyrically. You can tell that there's an emotional backbone through some of these songs, and that comes through more potently in certain tracks.

After listening to three or four songs, you can tell everything really came from someplace authentic, and that just makes the songs all the more likable.

"Keep It Together" follows suit with the same kind of approach and sheds even more light on the character behind the song lyrically.

One of the things that really grabbed me about this record is the energy. The whole thing feels almost like it was recorded live on the floor, and everyone involved was just feeding off of each other's energies the entire time.

Of course, I wasn't there, so I'm not sure how they did it, but listening to the record makes you want to see them perform it live.

If they can capture this kind of energy and aesthetic on record so well, then seeing them live must be awesome.

It's kind of rare that you hear a record and automatically know the band is going to be great and a live performance setting, but this is definitely an exception.

You hear the songs and you kind of feel like they're a live band and performing live is probably their safe space.

I love how they are infusing different eras of punk. From this sort of late 90s early 2000s emo punk, bringing to mind bands like Tsunami bomb, to a more garage feel.

They always keep that pop coating but deliver songs with a little bit of edginess and brightness, which is an excellent combination, especially for songs of this nature.

You want to hear that energy, color, and punch, and they deliver all of that.

One of my favorite tracks on the record is called "Shadow Puppets", which has a bit of a different feel. It still keeps some of those great staples I've been mentioning about the previous songs; however, it feels more blues-oriented. Even the guitars have a more soulful riff on this one.

It's got a smoother kind of flow that just feels a little different and stands out amongst the rest, and the vocalist shows a different side of her range.

This is clearly a band who have a real love for their craft. When I say that I don't just mean playing their instruments or singing, I mean writing songs and performing them together.

Now, the closing track is called "Helium", and this one is outstanding. It's a great track to close the record out because it's way slower pace, and some of the guitar work on this is insane. There are these wild and wailing bends that just breed this certain kind of aesthetic.

It feels a little heavier and still holds to some of the garage rock and punk style, but just in a different format.

I love how this one came out because again, it's just such a great way to end the full EP.

It certainly showcased some of the diverse songwriting approaches and some of the many influences that each member of the band has, and how they brought those together to create something that has an atmosphere that's all its own.

This was a massive EP that left me satisfied, but still just yearning for a little more. It was really good and I wanted to hear more songs. Of course, this will keep me at bay.

This was something you should not miss, and you don't want to listen to at low volumes. This was meant to be listened to nice and loud.

A lot is going on, and you want to listen to the entire EP from start to finish. It's the best way to take the journey and experience the full spectrum of what it has to offer.

Dive into this one now and remember where you heard it first.

37 HOUSES LIVE 2025:

11/09 San Francisco, CA - The Knockout

11/20 San Pedro, CA - The Sardine

11/21 El Centro, CA - Mexca Brew Bar

11/22 Los Angeles, CA - The Redwood Bar

11/23 San Diego, CA - The Tower Bar

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