Album Review: Horace Pinker Continue To Excel With “Now And The Future”
–by Robert Wilkins
Pop punk pioneers Horace Pinker is back in business with their first new recording since 2022’s EP House of Cards and it’s their first full length album since 2011’s Local State inertia. The band’s hot new album titled Now and the Future was released on September 12th and features some of the band’s best material to date. The band, based in Chicago Ill. Is comprised of Greg Mytych on bass and vocals, along with founding members Bryan Jones on Drums and Scott Eastman on guitar and vocals.
While their music is cut from the same cloth as many early 2000’s punk bands, they predate most in the genre by at least a few years. In my opinion, the difference between Horace Pinker and other more well-known contemporaries is that their music feels less forced and more sincere. While some bands in this category are content producing music for the Hot Topic demographic, Horace Pinker stays true to their punk ethos while still writing catchy hooks.
This album has proved that a punk band doesn’t have to limit themselves to being three chord hacks, relying on mere energy to get their point across. Horace pinker has the trifecta of punk attitude, the ability to write great songs with pop undertones and the chops to blend musical styles. While the album is full of bangers, there are a couple that truly showcase these talents.
“Call it a Day” is the first song on the album and really sets the tone. It is a barn burner with all of the raucous energy you would expect from a great punk album. The real surprise for me comes about 43 seconds into the song. Scott Eastman lays down a riff that would make any lover of heavy music salivate and is replete with pick slides. The slick guitar playing is quickly followed up with tasty drum fills by Bryan Jones. In my opinion, this song is as worthy of radio play as anything else already in heavy rotation on rock stations.
“Back in the Day” is a full-on punk track and feels like a call to arms with its exclamation of “we want more”! The song is full of great bass lines by Greg Mytych and more rollicking drum rolls and fills by Bryan Jones. This song would be a great way to end a punk concert! The upbeat nature of the tune is sure to throw the crowd into a frenzy and leave them wanting more. I could only hope that the unrest would show itself in the form of a mosh pit.
Horace Pinker has shown once again that they should be much bigger than they are and hopefully with this album they will be. The band are on the road during the second half of October and deserve everything good that comes their way. Go see them do their thing live and support great music by purchasing their music and swag.
Now And The Future track listing
- Call It A Day
- Fear Of Heights
- Three Against Me
- Warm Up For The Future
- Never Started
- Static Generate
- Up To Speed
- Just Around The Corner
- Fix Me
- Back In The Day
Check out Horace Pinker on tour beginning October 17 in Memphis, TN:
- Fri Oct 17 — Memphis, TN @Haven Haus
- Sat Oct 18 — Houma, LA @ Intracoastal Club
- Sun Oct 19 — New Orleans, LA @ Siberia
- Mon Oct 20 — Mobile, AL @ Serdas
- Tue Oct 21 — Pensacola, FL @ The Handlebar
- Wed Oct 22 — Orlando, FL — SmartPunk Pre-Fest @ Will’s Pub
- Thu Oct 23 — Gainesville, FL — SmartPunk Pre-Fest @ The Backyard
- Fri Oct 24 — Gainesville, FL — FEST 23 @ Loosey’s