Pacer
No. 1
Chunksaah Records
It’s hard for me to write about a record with any sort of conviction before listening to it enough times to really comprehend it. That inability is one of the reasons I find myself listening to the debut Pacer EP, No. 1 almost anytime I leave the house. The other reason, of course, is that it’s infectious.
Pacer is best known as the first Dave House-fronted band to emerge from the smoldering rubble of The Steal. That is, until people actually listen to No. 1. Although the EP does have some leftover hardcore tendencies from The Steal, most notably “Lonely Critics”, the songs are largely slowed down and as such are finally able to breath on their own without whizzing past before they can even register. Clocking in at a little over 15 minutes, these seven songs run just a bit shorter than the last Steal full-length (read: 14 tracks).
These songs are infused with enthusiasm. The opening track, “Circles Around A Square” will bring you back and make you wish you could spend your days biking around your neighborhood with friends, screaming the words out loud, fingers dragging past notches in fences. That is not to say that these songs are immature; far from it, in fact. These songs are rich with youthfulness, full of developing optimism and a sense of discovery. For this reason alone, I am very interested to see how Pacer will mature upon future releases, considering No. 1 gives off such an idealistic vibe.
Luckily the EP is short and concise enough that the band doesn’t have time to second-guess themselves. This is full steam ahead punk rock, and the material couldn’t have a better format to sit on. It’s a lengthy release compared to what most punk rock bands consider an EP these days, considering it’s all too often bands release two song 7”s. But this far from overstays its welcome (take a hint, Broken Social Scene, 25 minutes is not an EP).
Whilst No. 1 isn’t instantaneous fodder for my record of the year list, I’m not saying it definitely won’t be. From where I stand, Pacer just had to knock this one out to get used to the band chemistry. This is a perfect baby step towards something special. If Chunksaah Records knows what they’re doing, and history says they do, they will put out a Pacer full length ASAP.
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