Jokers Hand – Seeing Red

By RingMaster Review on March 28, 2023 • ( 0 )

Increasingly causing a stir with their raucously contagious and energetically rousing sound, a prowess already more than encapsulated in the band’s 2021 released debut album, Southern California’s JOKERS HAND spring another all involving incitement in the shape of the Seeing Red EP. It is a five-track blast of their punk, hip-hop and pop punk merging rock ‘n’ roll, basically an uproar that demands you take notice.

Hailing from Torrance, CA, JOKER’S HAND was formed by Kevin Kawano and Matthew Lau in 2017 and soon become a potent proposal on the Los Angeles club circuit. March 2020 saw their self-titled debut EP released with the band’s early singles having already seen the keen support of KROQ and its listeners. With their live presence backing up reasons for their growing reputation, All-American Rage, their first album, was uncaged the following year to similar keen praise. Now Seeing Red is here and we suggest it is inevitable going to brew another wind of plaudits and attention upon JOKER’S HAND.

There are certainly familiar essences in the band’s music, recognisable pop punk and vocal led hip hop traits but they are aligned with real individuality and fresh imagination as proven within the EP. It erupts into life with the outstanding Remedy, a track calmly stirring to swiftly burst into rapacious life with a steady but forceful trespass. Across its mercurial landscape, the song holds back and surges forth, every moment a skilfully woven incitement across an evolving body. Predatory yet flirtatious in its catchiness, the track had ears and involvement firmly hooked with essences akin to bands such as DROWNING POOL and NEW FOUND GLORY adding to the rousing.

Danny Phantom follows with the track featuring Jakob Nowell (LAW). It too is an eventful uproar with a melodically enflamed tub thumping chorus sprung with a dexterity of songwriting and performance which just gets under the skin. Hooks and melodies are as involving and invasive as the track’s manipulative energy and urging, skills as resourceful within successor Haunting Hour. With the guitar picking at the senses as rap kilned vocals initially incite, the song instantly gripped attention. Its subsequent twists and turns are cast in unpredictable invention and punk inflamed incitement, a mix becoming quickly addictive as the track blossomed in imagination. Threat and dilemma trespass as creative seduction and revelry surges, the track firmly taking favourite moment honours.

Anxiety soon gives it a run for its money though, its calm but angst lit entrance wrapped in evocative guitar vines before erupting in another flume of pop punk nurtured clamour. It is an emotively fired song bred in observational intimacy but equally a senses stirring anthemic outcry that courted and received the keenest attention.

The release ends with You’re Why I Don’t Sleep At Night, a serenade of melodic prowess and vocal enticement embroiled in pop and punk tenacity. Virulently infectious and just as eagerly designed in drawing one’s involvement, it is a fine and guileful close to an outstanding and enlivening encounter.

As we said, JOKER’S HAND has earned some loud and keen praise over the recent times and it is only going to get louder and keener following Seeing Red.

Seeing Red is out now on WIRETAP RECORDS; available @ https://jokershand.bandcamp.com/album/seeing-red