Hamilton punk scene has just received a shot of adrenaline courtesy of The Penske File release, "Dead Maps," the frenetic opener to their forthcoming album, "Reprieve due for release by October 3rd on Stomp Records. It's a classic shot of pure, uncut fast, furious pop-punk energy from the heart.
With one take from a live session recorded without a metronome at Halo Studios backing it, "Dead Maps" lives and breathes on raw spontaneity. Drums, bass, and guitar ripple with the kind of natural push and pull that only playing together in the moment can yield. Listening can be something close to sitting in the room with the trio, swept up in the glory of the punk abandon that set them in motion.
Produced by longtime collaborator Adam Michael, the track is a taste of a larger album that promises to be big and bold, ranging from stripped-down folk meditations to sprawling indie rock epics. "Dead Maps" lands most powerfully, serving as a poignant reminder of the trio's origins and the force that first animated them. Guitarist and singer Travis Miles explains that he got the beginning parts of the song from a stream of consciousness phrase that he couldn't shake while reading, and it was the perfect title to sum up the song's free-wheeling, introspective journey.
"Dead Maps" is a mind voyage, winding and unpredictable, thrillingly alive. It's not just any kind of endpoint, but the freedom to do whatever you want. There is no target, only the joy of roaming through unknown territory, both creatively and personally. And as Miles points out, it just sounds cool, an aesthetic that throbs through each chord and drumbeat. For those who still believe in punk rock with a pulse and a story to tell, The Penske Files hits every nail in the coffin with the breathless abandon of getting lost and the inevitable journey home that gave your heart a reason to race.
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