Compandas – “I Just Quit My Job at the Liquor Store”

Lauren Records

“High Point 9/11, what’s your emergency?”

“Yes, this is Jesus Christ, and I just broke into the Pizza Hut, and I broke the window, and I’m here… Jesus is here now. He’s back– he’s back to earth.”

“... alright.”

Boom, off we shoot into a revved-up Rosenstock party riff that doubles as the introduction to Compandas, the new project from Short Fictions vocalist/guitarist Sam Treber. 

Packed with a buzzy, effervescent energy, a bright glockenspiel melody, and even a peppy little two-step drum passage at one point, “I Just Quit My Job at the Liquor Store” is a gloriously upbeat rock song that revels in the majesty of being freshly unencumbered from your shitty job. The track takes the tappy Midwest Emo of Short Fictions and swaps it for a sort of juiced-up punk rock sound that’s buoyed by Alex Barkley’s steady-as-fuck bass. For his part, Sam remains on vocals but decided to ditch the guitar and hop on the drum kit, resulting in a rhythm-only two-piece that offers what they define as “2000s blog punk.” Hell yeah, I’m right there with ya; let’s get back on Mediafire. Let’s divest. Let’s get the hell out of here.

The project’s lead single is propelled by this constant, freeing, forward momentum, and it may feel a little unpredictable at times, but that’s preferable to being stagnant, right? While still recognizable, Sam’s voice is obscured by a faint wall of distortion that pairs nicely with the fuzz coming off the bass. All the while, the two are collectively ripping into this absolutely triumphant riff. It’s all very inspiring and infectious, something to bounce your foot to while you rot away behind a desk or to replay in your head while standing on your feet for eight hours straight. There’s no winning here, but there is, at least, solidarity.