https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2016-11-04/friday-sos-record-reviews-beach-slang/
Ally Sheedy's Breakfast Club character warned, "When you grow up, your heart dies." Not so, says Beach Slang bandleader James Alex, whose 42-year-old heart still pumps fierce, gory, and earnest indie-punk anthems. The Philadelphian parades his Replacements adoration throughout 10 brisk tracks, hardening emo themes with a punk-lite edge, his lyrics preserving the sting of adolescence. "I never belonged," whines the singer on "Spin the Dial," though he ultimately prevails thanks to music. Duds ("Warpaint") detract from gems ("Hot Tramps"), energy falling short of 2015's The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us. If BS's LP titles sound so corny they're painful, Alex's POV remains imminently relatable. (Fri., 6:05pm, the Keep stage)
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