42 Eagle – “Stalemate”
Last month, Buffalo-based band 42 Eagle released their EP “Stalemate” and it’s an absolute must-add to any of your punk playlists. I first heard of 42 Eagle when they opened up for Dino Skatepark last year at East Islip Lanes and was really excited to hear that they would be releasing an EP this year!
This will be the band’s second major release and is a culmination of the progress they’ve made as a band, from the people they’ve met over the years to their final years of college. If someone asked me how I felt in my last semester of undergraduate school, I would one hundred percent tell them to listen to 42 Eagle’s “Stalemate“: it’s tone is a familiar sense of belonging coming to an end and not knowing what’s to come next, a feeling of just wanting to take a nap forever.
The EP starts off with “Nothing More” which immediately gave me 2000’s punk, Sum41 and Blink182 vibes. The riffs are upbeat and head-bopping material, and is the perfect song, as well as the next one, to get you into this band. My favorite track off of this EP, “Hollow Tree“, follows suit. I’m a sucker for well-blended and balanced time changes in songs and this track delivers that and comes back for seconds.
“Stoned and Afraid” follows right after, and if their goal was to make you feel, well, stoned and afraid they’ve done a good job. The track starts off slow and somber-sounding, with vocals that feel like you’re in a cloudy haze or submerged in water. Then two minutes in the vocals and riffs come in strong, like an unexpectant wave. It’s tracks like this that really show how important using different tones, time changes, and riffs are to really tell a story for a song.
The fourth track, “Well“, definitely encapsulated how I felt towards my last couple of semesters of university: “here we are again in this weird confusing place…maybe things will go back to normal and maybe we can get a new start. Maybe I’ll just lose myself in this hole, or maybe I’ll just fall apart.” If there’s a contest for a song that describes what it’s like to realize you’re an adult now with responsibilities and anxieties, “Well” would take all of the gold medals for it.
Ending this bop-city of an EP is “Sad Neeson“, which I interpreted as the beginnings of leaving a toxic relationship. Every chord hits you like ripping off band-aid after band-aid of every shitty relationship you have been in. Every word in this song hit so hard for me that I almost wonder if 42 Eagle somehow took inspiration off my past relationships!
“Stalemate” is the perfect EP for anyone seeking a refreshing spin on alternative-punk tunes. It’s beautiful, melancholy, and will absolutely pull at your heartstrings. Stream it now on your favorite music platform and be sure to follow 42 Eagle on social media for their upcoming shows and releases!
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