Mary Kate and Trashley might be the funniest band name I’ve come across in quite a long time. Beside being incredibly amusing as a moniker, it also labels a new garage punk act from the southwest portion of Ohio. I heard about them first from Poptek Records, the passion project of Andy Ingram—who also informed us of Ohio Band to Watch The Nautical Theme, so needless to say I had to give this band a chance.

There isn’t a lot to say about this album, because it’s short yet sweet. So, I’d like to think my brevity is complementary to the music here.

The six tracks really fly by. Listening to this record is like being gently punched in the face by your best friend over and over. It’s a kind of abrasive and at times a little much, but overall you find it enjoyable. The unedited guitar feedback is abrasive and obnoxious, but at the end of the day adds to the mood of the EP, and you’d probably miss it if it weren’t there.

Parts of the record are almost cutesy. The one minute song “Crush” definitely has that vibe, but the production and deadpan vocals seem to resist that label, as if the protagonist is self-aware of how the lyrics come across. “Noonan” and “Compression” are lo-fi garage pop jams at their loudest and most heartwarming.

I suddenly have the urge to invite this band to play my backyard in a summer cookout. My neighbors will hate it, but I won’t.

Snag the EP here. Give Poptek Records a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.