EP Review: Low Morale - 'This Planet Sucks'

Low Morale gives a taste of nostalgic pop-punk heaven with their new EP, This Planet Sucks.

Pop punk band Low Morale has always possessed a presence that is cathartic, edgy, and infectious. Possessing a mesmerizingly nostalgic sound, laced with West Coast skate punk, East Coast emo, and a pinch of Midwest tenacity, Low Morale has never believed in changing what works but has consistently fine-tuned their instrumental fortitude to develop it further. Low Morale always finds a way to eloquently combine these elements to produce their own distinct soundscapes, with a melodic pop punk and Emo resonance that calls back to luminaries like Alkaline Trio, Saves The Day, and Jaw Breaker. Since the wistful release of their 2021 album, Making You Better Feeling, Low Morale has continued to drive this sound forward, with more power and resilience than ever before with their new EP, This Planet Sucks.

The EP ends with the finale, “Young and Expiring.” Combining their raw spirited vocals, lyricism, and melodic cadence of sunset-dripped guitar strings, vignettes of dreamy synths, and full-bodied percussive energies, Low Morale ends This Planet Sucks on a high note.

A three-song EP, This Planet Sucks starts with the opener, “Ripper,” and continues to pick up the momentum with “Tombstoned.” Dipped in a familiar coating of deceptively cheery melancholic guise, Low Morale finds a way to deliver a yesteryear skate-punk approach to its gloomy lyricism. The following three songs by Low Morale employ this dualistic strategy to maintain their dynamism while still adhering to their formula of indulgent classic pop-punk aesthetics.

The EP ends with the finale, “Young and Expiring.” Combining their raw spirited vocals, lyricism, and melodic cadence of sunset-dripped guitar strings, vignettes of dreamy synths, and full-bodied percussive energies, Low Morale ends This Planet Sucks on a high note.

This Planet Sucks is a little taste of pop-punk heaven from years past combined with a charismatic sense of dark, sentimental lyricism. While the band has only recently begun to gather steam with the release of their most recent EP and last album, Low Morale is demonstrating that there is still a place for indulgent nostalgia in a genre that is continually shifting with each new band's presence.