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Without ever eyeing a press release or map, listeners with the slightest punk rock expertise will pinpoint the origins of Agent’s timeless and tireless sound. From I Wouldn’t Trade That For Anything’s opening, lifted-straight-from-Saves The Day’s-“Ups and Downs”-notes, Agent is clearly product of the New York/New Jersey melodic hardcore scene.
Owing a little to the swirling guitars, start-stop structures, and spit-sung vocals of melodic hardcore stalwarts and fellow Long Island natives Crime In Stereo, I Wouldn’t Trade That For Anything finds Agent closer to the urgent pace, sound, and single-mindedness of Saves The Day’s Can’t Slow Down. Simple melodic riffs with poppy intuitions complement uncomplicated drum patterns; fast fills and short-lived breakdowns pass for flourishes. The strained vocals of disillusionment and nostalgia scream youth, and I Wouldn’t Trade That For Anything’s trim five tracks in 13 minutes play to the attention span of Agent’s primary demographic. This is fast rockin' punk that pulses with emotion, perfect for solitary drives and packed-car sing-alongs alike, but is wholly enjoyable without being especially memorable or even distinct from song to song.
The EP title may as well be a reflection on the NY/NJ signature melodi-pop hardcore sound. Agent isn’t reinventing a damn thing or, hell, even offering an original twist, but this is for fun not fashion, and this satisfying tradition provides the simplest of pleasures.
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