Girl at the Rock Shows

The title of this EP makes me giggle. It’s just so quirky and leads to so many questions. It evokes a sense of “working-class” kind of mentality for me. For some reason, I want to fit it into the phrase, “I ain’t got much, but I got ‘Two Bucks and a Bottle of Ketchup'” which just instantly makes me smile. I don’t know anything about The Ovines or their sound, but I’m excited to dig into it based on this album title alone.

This quick, five-song, seventeen-minute EP kicks off with “Ten Street Mile.” I love the crunchiness that kicks this song off because it instantly caught my attention. Even as the song progresses, there’s an undeniable crunch and almost classic vibe to it. Fast and furious in pace, I’m instantly thinking that The Ovines are just one of those good ol’ fashioned kind of punk bands, but that’s when they hit me with some horns, an epic guitar solo with cool cymbal hits that sound almost otherworldly. Punk band, sure, but there’s so much more when it comes to this band. I thought this song was going to be all power, but about a minute in, the band hits you with a moment of cool, calm, and collected energy that gives this feeling of being underwater. It was unexpected but delightful and definitely showcases the fact that this band isn’t afraid to play around with tones, styles, and moods, which has me so excited to see what comes next.

“Loose Change” is the longest track on this album, at just under five minutes long. Compared to “Ten Street Mile,” there’s something that feels just way more somber and intentional, which I, again, wasn’t ready for but instantly fell in love with. You still get a punk crunch and no shortage of angst throughout this epic piece of art, but there’s just something a bit more serious about this song. There’s a sense of desperation behind that crunch and angst that comes through so loud and clear. Again, there’s this classic vintage to the overall presentation of this song that makes the song feel a bit retro. I’m not typically one for older music (it’s a long story and I won’t get super into it right now), but I like how this song and The Ovines’ sound in general seems to throw it back while giving you a modern twist. If you get into the lyrics of this song, you can get lost in a dark hole. The lyrics are depressing, no other way to put it, but I love how raw and honest they are at the same time. “Suicidal on a daily basis/ feelings gone now/it’s all changing/ the only thing I have in my pocket is change.” Just let those words sink in and think about them.

Just when I could feel myself slipping into an existential crisis due to the lyrics of “Loose Change,” The Orvines switch things up completely for “Two Bucks.” This song goes back to the fast and furious pace of “Ten Street Mile.” Still, it brings a more infectious, almost old-school The Libertines kind of vibe with a more punk, Buzzocks kind of attitude. This song moves fast. It’s not that much shorter than the other three “short” songs on this EP, but something about the constantly moving beat and the percussion during the beat makes it seem to fly by much quicker than I would have liked.

This EP is a true rollercoaster ride and, just when I was about ready to crack my first beer of the night due to the party-like atmosphere that “Two Bucks” gave me, the band brought me back down with “Mind of Mine.” Okay, they didn’t knock me all the way down. The swagger and power of this song keep it from feeling ballad-like or anything like that, but there’s definitely something raw about the vocals here. The song tells a tale as old as time- letting your mind get in the way of, well, yourself. It’s another raw portrayal of something that we all go through daily, and, because of that, I found a great deal of comfort in this song.

Closing out ‘Two Bucks and a Bottle of Ketchup’ is “Loser Mate.” This song is bombastic and was instantly my favorite on the album. The track takes a little bit from all of the previous songs and ramps it up into a skate punk kind of anthem. It has a little taste of Viagra Boys in it, but also has a very raw DIY kind of style that brings it back to the punk days of eras gone by. “Loser Mate” is a love song to those people out there that are, well, losers. I love how tongue-in-cheek this song is and the attitude that it shows. What a powerful statement and song to end on.

Tl;Dr: As The Ovines said about their music, “It’s heart with attitude, a cry for those trying to make it through the day while the world turns a blind eye.”  There’s truly no better way to describe their sound or this EP. There’s a rawness to it. There are moments that will make you get lost in your head and others that will make you ready for a party. Every song fits into a moment that makes up the daily life that we all live. ‘Two Bucks and a Bottle of Ketchup’ is relatable, raw, and punchy.

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