May 28 2008
Scream Hello – Smart & Stupid EP
Scream Hello
Smart & Stupid EP
Red Leader Records; 2008
As bands like The Hold Steady consistently prove, making good music isn’t always about displaying the farthest stretches of one’s technical prowess. It’s about telling a great story, crafting a memorable hook, having fun with your music, and inviting your fans along with you to share in that fun. And that’s exactly what the Jersey boys in Scream Hello have done with their Smart & Stupid EP, in that they’ve offered up four unrelenting songs that are chock full of emo heart, indie wit, and punk tempo. “A Few Minutes” and “Vinegar & Baking Soda” serve as anthemic, rocking bookends to the brilliant late ‘90s emo of “Breaking Shit” and the moody building of “rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.” While there might only be four of them teasing the listener, the solid tracks of Smart & Stupid make for some really charming rock and only hasten the release of the band’s debut full-length in Summer 2008.
