Pat and the Pissers are no strangers to the modern punk rock scene.
The Indianapolis-based quartet consists of lead singer Alex Beckman, Matt Keyser (guitar), Connor James (drums), and Kilmer (bass), and together, the high-octane unit has released two LPs, America’s Dream in 2019 and Soil in 2022. The band is set to release these albums together on vinyl through Romanus Records on September 30th. Most recently, the band put out their 5-track EP, Growth, in April.
Full of vicious energy and wit, both albums sit well on each side of the vinyl, combining their consecutive messages of having a gritty attitude in a disheartening world.
America’s Dream is true to its title as a slice-of-life into the reality Americans face everyday. The title track is a sarcastic call-out to both the government and the citizens, leading into a sucker-punch album with lines like, “I’m a red white and blue / And I’m better than you / Because I was born in the USA.” You’d be hard-pressed to find a punk band who doesn’t rip apart the shortcomings, arrogance, and injustices of their country, and PATP are no different.
While swiftly zipping through the album with fun minute-long songs give or take, “Don’t Come in My House” stands out on this album with its edgy lyrics and heavy instrumentals. This song demands your full attention with its dark and poignant commands: “Don’t call my phone / It’s off limits to you / If I see you lurking in my yard / I practice civil right number two.”
This album ends with “Debris,” which delivers a softer message than the tracks prior, acting as a “love song” with its punk-rock-romance lines and soft acoustic guitar, taking a turn from previous tracks- at least instrumentally. Beckman sings, “I put my boot on your neck and tell you, ‘You look pretty,’ / Do you still feel safe with me?” Even in its sweetest track, this band still never fails to deliver a no-holds-barred heavy-hitter.
On the other side of the anticipated vinyl sits Soil, which opens similarly to America’s Dream with “Out of Style,” a self-reflective track about numbing out. The track ends with the lines, “Out of sight out of life and out of time / Because everything will come and go out of style,” setting up the album to be rooted in their usual tenacity and brutal honesty.
While a meager 52 seconds long, the title track, “Soil,” sticks out with a message on accepting the world’s state of being. The band writes of a disappointing government, singing, “The future is looking much too grim / The policies are rolling back the time / To save another nickel and a dime / To watch your home burn up and fry.”
“Footnote,” the album’s fitting ending track, leaves the band hoping for a better future for everyone around them. This song is a cry for a better reality, stating, “I want more from the government / I want more from the Internet / I want more from myself again.”
These two albums coincide the band’s daring personality and torchbearers of 21st Century punk music, displaying their enigmatic ways of handling disappointment and strife.
Amongst the release of the September 30th vinyl, Pat and the Pissers will be delivering their message with a few live shows lined up this fall.
