Spectreview: Emma Lee Toyoda – i don’t wanna play ur show [EP]

-DODGER BLUE-

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“I think I’m dying
I think I’m dying right before your eyes”

There’s something undefinably intoxicating about Emma Lee Toyoda’s music, some quality that invites listeners to build their lives around it. Sewn Me Anew, their first full-length back in 2016, effectively married simple effective guitar structures peppered with violin and saxophone, all tied together by Toyoda’s rounded vocals and haunting harmonies. i don’t want to play ur show places a clear emphasis on the punk side of soft-punk, boasting distorted rock workouts, all-around faster tempos and caustic declarations of identity. Toyoda draws a clear line in the sand about their intentions, excoriating disrespectful bookers on the title track and pushing against impossible gender norms on “Why Can’t U”, pushing their voice to its limits. While Emma Lee’s voice reaches new levels here, their focus on heavier dynamics demands a certain degree of heft sonically, and a combination of curious production choices and a drowned-out drum set robs the music of some of its power. Then again, maybe that’s the point; Toyoda seems to revel in identifying the truth about the ugliness of living, and if their music intentionally sets out on capturing that spirit, absolutely more power to them. In that regard, i don’t want to play ur show is combative, entrancing DIY punk that brings out a compellingly tougher side in its creator.

Recommended for those that need a voice (and directly opposed to their silencers.)