Sorry Mom - “Molly Sells Molly By The Seashore”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 6

Pairs Well With…The Regrettes, Nada Surf, be your own PET

Legitimately funny, Sorry Mom’s songwriting is performed with a bite while keeping things tongue-in-cheek on their debut EP Juno Goes to the Big House and follow-up single “Molly Sells Molly By The Seashore”. Putting smiles on faces is an underestimated value especially in punk rock and is as difficult to pull off, making Sorry Mom’s early material pop that much more impressive. Musically, they keep things pretty straight forward, DIY production, ragged power chords, surf-rock vibes, an ideal backing for the raucous, confident lyricism that is the clear highlight here. Delivered with raw, one-take energy, Sorry Mom’s vocals are nicely unmoored, sung with either venom or nonchalance. There’s teenage energy to the melodramatic tales that Sorry Mom share, a mold that informs their loose, passionate style. It’s impressive that Sorry Mom don’t overdo it, balancing striking punk with more expressive directions that subtly creep into their songs. The NYC femme-queer trio’s debut full-length is due in May, setting the scene for SXSW to be an early chance to catch this invigorating, chaotic new band. (Kevin McStravick)