Poor Judgement – The Fallout
Poor Judgement is an alternative/punk rock band out of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The band consists of four friends that went to school together and have been close ever since. Poor Judgement just released an absolutely killer five track debut EP, The Fallout. The Fallout is filled with upbeat, hard-hitting instrumentals and emotion-filled vocals that accentuate’s Poor Judgement’s potential to make it big in the alternative/punk rock music scene!
As I usually do with most bands/artists that I write about, I had the chance to chat with the members of Poor Judgement. A four piece band, Ryley Robertson (drums vocals), Cameron Smith (bass), Angelo Aivalitois (vocals/rhythm) and James Hack (lead guitar) became friends in school over a decade ago and never looked back. Upon talking with the band, I was given insight into the backstory, the origin of their name, and the details of this debut EP! “It wasn’t til’ after high school that we really started to give it a shot. We’d all played music separately for years but finally brought it all together. Poor Judgement derives from something we all tend to carry as individuals – poor judgement. The natural urge to judge based on what we hear and see, rather than what we actually know. It’s about pushing past those in your life whom don’t promote positivity and to not listen to the ones who judge you and tell you ‘you can’t.’ Poor Judgement is exactly what you think it is.”
The Fallout begins with the fast paced, punk inspired song, “Running in Circles.” The song starts with strong chords and quick drumming that is evident in many punk songs today, making it one of the hardest rock songs of the EP. “Running in Circles”, as well as the rest of the album, touches on personal topics that discuss the ups and downs of life. The song is all about the difficulties of being in a relationship. What will make listeners fall in love with this song is the way that Poor Judgement wrote lyrics that are so relatable and so fun! “So this is it, it’s over now, I’ll pack my bags, and I will get the fuck out, like you told me to, how could I forget, my mind is so confused, my heart is full of regret. How could I not see, you used me like a tool, to fix your problems, how could you be so cruel? You said you loved me, that’s what I heard, but actions speak louder than words!” Sure, the song speaks on a pretty sorrowful topic, but the way Poor Judgement was able to incorporate the upbeat instrumentals makes it an instant fan favorite.
Something I enjoy in particular about The Fallout is that the Poor Judgement put slower, heart-rendering songs in between their hard-hitting punk rock songs. I always get discouraged when a band puts a bunch of fast-paced songs in a row and follow it up with a bunch of slower songs. Poor Judgement kept my attention fully on the music by throwing variety into the EP and changing up the style and flow of each song. “Love is Blinding Me” and “A Month Ago”are two songs that may not be considered “head bangers” but they will surely capture the attention of the crowd. Poor Judgement strayed away from their typical heavy hitting instrumentals and put focus on the melody of the guitar. Both songs start off with instrumentals and vocals filled with passion and emotion and segue into a full band jam session. I can’t help but get a vibe similar to bands like Brand New and Citizen and I love it!
The EP ends with “Bittersweet”, my favorite song on the EP. This song goes back to the heavy instrumentals and powerful chords that are present in “Running in Circles” and “Disarray”. Poor Judgement shows off each of their band members talents on this song. “Bittersweet” is filled with passionate lyrics and face melting instrumentals that highlight just how serious this band is about their music.
When I asked about the EP, the band stated “we tend to describe this EP as a story of the conflict, the breakup, the realization, and the closure. Essentially, The Fallout derives from moving past hard situations and the overall ‘falling out’ of situations with people in our lives. Something we ALL experiences as individuals. This is something we feel everyone will hopefully be able to relate to in some way, whether it be lyrically, emotionally or just for the love of music.” For their debut release, I think Poor Judgement hit the nail on the head in terms of what their goal was. The Fallout perfectly describes the negative situations that many people go through in life while keeping in tone with the fun punk rock that so greatly influenced the band. I can’t wait to hear more from Poor Judgement. Now we just have to get them to play a show in the US!
If you’re a native of Canada, or feel like taking a trip to catch an awesome band perform, Poor Judgement has two shows coming up. Make sure to give the band a follow on all social media platforms and check out their Spotify!
The Horshoe Tavern – Toronto, Canada – March 21st
The Mustache Club with Letdown – Oshawa, Ontario, Canada – March 31st