A 100-mile-an-hour joyride of a song, Mask is a massive, ballsy, high-octane blast of rock energy and spirit.
It starts surprisingly, with a glitchy electronic beat that quickly gives way to the core of the song – untethered snot-nosed punk rock. Adding to the rich lineage of bands who have come before them, Hands First are clearly very comfortable taking the punk baton and running with it. However, when you listen closely, you realise it’s punk rock, but not as we know it. Like a combination of The Faint and The Dead Kennedys, the Brooklyn-based outfit interweaves synths and electronic elements with traditional guitar-based fare to add an extra dimension to the chaos and the noise.
The band says they hope the song “makes you feel like slamming your face through a plate glass window” – we think they nailed the brief on this one.
This is the first of five singles due to be released by the band, which will then be followed by an album in the Autumn.
Written by Kinda Grizzly
