RELEASE DATE: 4 JUN 2020 GENRE: POP PUNK / POP ROCK Malaysian band offers some sugary servings that’s half-cheesy, half-empowering, all-around pop rock.
Malaysian pop punk/pop rock band, An Honest Mistake (no relation to that Bravery song, I think, might have missed an interview), has recently released their first original music since 2016. ‘I Don’t Give A Damn’, stylised as #IDGAD, sees the band veer away from the familiar: “ I know too many friends who are in similar situations so I dug deep to really put my thoughts together. I can’t take credit for all of it though because Sheryl, our ex-singer, put her touch on it for the lines in the chorus. We’ve written cliche love songs for so many years and it’s about time we get real”, lead writer Darren Teh says in the press release.
The song has its beginnings in Sonny Wan, the band’s bassist, shouting “You don’t give a fuck about me” after having gone through a break-up. The title was later changed to sound more empowering. The song was recorded and mixed by JD (guitarist of legendary Malaysian rap rock band, Pop Shuvit, and Southeast Asian supergroup, Project EAR) at Studio 21:05, with the exception of the gang vocals which was recorded at home due to a nationwide pandemic lockdown.
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For fans of pop punk, ‘I Don’t Give A Damn’ guarantees a fun listen at least. There is a steady sense of groove, smiling fist-in-the-air positivity complete with gang vocals, a pretty cool guitar solo and a sick bass line preceding it.
My only minor gripe is the slow wub-wub, sub-bass trap beat in the quasi-R&B verses which feel a bit awkward in comparison to the solid, frenetic energy of the pop punk parts. The verses come off too sanitised and clean like a generic rock band on a kids' show (think iCarly) trying to add an edgy rap part to their arrangements to 'fit in with the kids'. It’s not exactly off-brand for the band considering they’ve owned up to the label of being ‘bubblegum’ punk. Personally, it just doesn’t hit me as hard as the rest of the song.
Still, the musicianship on this song is A-class. When the instruments come in for the chorus you’re greeted with a hook that packs a punch. The glitchy excerpt from Gone With The Wind's iconic quote "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" is cool too. If you’re looking for some sugary feel-good anthem, IDGAD could be that song for you.
The band’s press statement has also said to expect more releases this year as they’ve gone out of their writer’s block and are in full writer’s mode.
Check out more from An Honest Mistake:
RATING:
3.5 / 5
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