Johnny Respect, the Michigan three-piece punk band, is back with their third release the three-song EP "Demographics." It's their first release on New Pop Records, which is most likely an indie label started by the band. Their previous two albums were released on Bulletproof Records.
The first song on "Demographics" is "New Pop," which is definitely something new for Johnny Respect. It sounds like the whole "emo" thing has rubbed off on them. Next comes "Shot gun," which goes back to the band's roots mixing 50's rockabilly with their punk sound. Its highlights include a lead guitar solo and an unexpected key change. Last is "Jabber Mouth" which sounds like something off their last release with shotgun drums and a screaming guitar solo.
To put it in perspective, this is Johnny Respect's best recording yet; it's better than their second record and more polished than their first. Yet the three different songs have three different sounds and it's not clear which style they would take on a full-length album. When it comes right down to it, "Demographics" is a serviceable recording, but it's not Earth shattering.
C+
