Album Review: The Longshot – The Longshot EP

Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong is no stranger to sidebands and his latest comes in the form of The Longshot. After teasing tracks on Instagram, Armstrong released The Longshot’s debut EP last week. Like his other projects, this one captures the mood he’s in: a carefree blend of power pop and classic garage rock.

As you would expect from Armstrong, all three tracks are fun, catchy, and easy going. Rather than taking things seriously, it sounds like he wanted to keep things loose and jam out. “Taxi Driver” is the catchiest song on the EP. It has a simple hook you’ll find yourself singing subconsciously and is filled with blazing riffs. “Chasing a Ghost” has the best energy and also has an earworm hook. It’s something that’ll get you up and bouncing to the beat. “Love is for Losers” is a bit more subdued. It has an easy going tone to it, yet perfectly captures the raw, classic rock vibe Armstrong was going for.

All of the songs have this vintage, garage rock with a hint of power pop feel and sound to them. It’s almost like this is an homage to classic garage rock he grew up with. They’re all catchy with a bouncing energy that makes you want to move. The problem is very few of the songs grab your attention. While they’ll grow on you over time, very little about them stands out. They don’t necessarily stick with you once the EP is over. Armstrong is working with familiar territory, so that could be part of the problem. Still, you can appreciate it for what it is: a fun, upbeat EP meant for a good time.

The Longshot EP a fun, enjoyable listen that sounds like it was made for overcrowded basement parties and lots of dancing. While the songs don’t leave the biggest impression, they capture the raw vintage rock sound Armstrong was going for. He wants to have a good time with this project and he’s clearly having a blast; you can’t but join him.

The Longshot EP tracklist:

1 Love is for Losers
2 Taxi Driver
3 Chasing a Ghost

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