Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
RIOT KIDZ have been around since 2011, and when I saw them live during a past visit in Seoul I really enjoyed the band’s pop punk sound because it was very reminiscent of pop punk I listened to back in high school. ‘The Things We Miss‘ is a three-song single recorded in the last six months of 2014. Since their debut, the band seems to have go into hibernation while working on honing their sound and it shows.
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“Jamie” is a past song that captures the entire tone of the band. With vocals in English, it’s easy to hear the hooks in the song and start matching the rhythm. “A Week” reminds me a lot of Blink-182 in their ‘Cheshire Cat‘ or ‘Dude Ranch‘ days when the music carried a fast beat. One big change from the past songs I’ve heard from RIOT KIDZ is that the songs sound more precise. Guitar and bass riffs are easier to hear, and the drums don’t overpower the music but they still make a presence. “Almost There” is an acoustic song, which replaces electric guitars in the introduction, and it has more casual vocals.
The three songs show different sides to the band and give them more dimension. RIOT KIDZ’s past songs all had a very similar structure, which could get monotonous, but the variety on ‘The Things We Miss’ is a really positive change. ‘The Things We Miss’ could also be the calling card for the band to get more attention from prospective labels.
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RIOT KIDZ have definitely progressed as a band, and the single shows a matured sound while not removing the overall genre of choice. I think what RIOT KIDZ need at this point is a label that can help them grow and give feedback to craft a strong EP or album.
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