Sampling: Environmental Youth Crunch - Let’s Ride

Environmental Youth Crunch
Let’s Ride
Bakery Outlet Records 2007

By Nick McGregor

Environmental Youth Crunch may sound like a hardcore band’s name, but this St. Augustine trio deals more in upbeat pop-punk riffs and heartfelt lyrics than anything the word “crunch” denotes. Well known for playing local shows in their underwear, EYC combines fun-loving live antics with thoughtful examinations of our species’ effect on the environment, often calling out developers, Wall Street types, and politicians point-blank. But instead of insisting on confrontational or extremist viewpoints, this Bakery Outlet Records band relies on humor and even a bit of heart-on-my-sleeve balladry to make its point known.

EYC’s latest album, Let’s Ride, packs a lot of punch into 28 minutes. Stuttering guitars and rapid-fire drums form the backbone of “I Was an Angel” and “Crabs to Go,” with a wee bit of grunge adding bite to “The Stock Market is My Garden” and “Diamond in the Muff” (a plaintive ode to “St. Augustine, best damn town I’ve ever seen”). A subtle indie rock vibe gives “Daisies in Diaries” an unmistakable shuffle, and “Liquid Gold” proves the band can handle Minor Threat-type early punk. But the highlights of Let’s Ride come when the boys turn things down and pick up the acoustic guitars. The group shouts on “If Sunday Never Comes” lend a campfire feel to the album, and the punk-blues tearjerker “Praise the Lord for Permethrin” personifies the plight of animals destroyed by man-made chemicals. It may sound like a bit of a stretch, but Jacob Hamilton’s howls sure made my spine shiver.

The album rounds out on two strong notes, with the ironic-yet-sad humor of “Golf Course in the Ghetto” and the beautiful a cappella harmonies courtesy the Hamilton family on “The Ashgrove.” But most importantly, Environmental Youth Crunch proves on Let’s Ride that you can have fun with your music while still making a difference. If only more bands outside St. Augustine could pull off the same thing.