Written by : Max Bennett
Last summer, I wrote about the debut hometown show of Philly’s nascent jangly emo goofball math rock band Rat Jester. Now, they’ve followed it up with their first EP, “Fun House,” released on May 9.
To call “Fun House” “short but sweet” feels like an understatement. With just four tracks — “Good Bit,” “Supermarket,” “Bliss,” and “Dishes Don’t Need to Soak” — the EP clocks in at around 15 minutes and practically demands to be played on loop.
“Good Bit” opens with a classic late-2000s trope: an audio clip layered over an intro riff. From there, slightly distorted guitars burst into the mix with bright, dynamic energy, delivering slick slides and trilling hammer-on/pull-off riffs reminiscent of The Fall of Troy — but with a more joyful twist.
Frontman Matt DeCaro wastes no time establishing the band’s signature blend of goofy and sincere. He delivers in the opening track:
Everyday is a gift
That keeps getting regifted
You don’t gotta wrap it
I know what it is
“Supermarket,” the band’s first single, continues to mix comedy with poignancy, musing on the everyday absurdities of adulthood:
Where you been?
You missed my birthday
And everyone’s pissed
What’d you get me?
One more year of not calling it quits
Near the end of the track, DeCaro abandons singing altogether, speaking lines about spending hours deciding what to eat for dinner before settling on “just cook something we have at home.” What is life, if not a Sisyphean struggle to answer that very question?
On “Bliss,” guitarist Jack Alexander takes over lead vocals, delivering a pop-punk-infused performance that contrasts with DeCaro’s more post-hardcore/screamo stylings. The lyrics lean less into comedy, but the anthemic chorus, lush bridge, and hooky outro — complete with soaring backing vocals — offer an emotional lift.
Drummer Ian Staley kicks off the EP’s closer, “Dishes Don’t Need to Soak,” with a three-count on cymbal and a hefty kick drum before DeCaro and Alexander jump in, guitars ablaze.
DeCaro opens with biting levity:
Working on yourself
Is not a real job
I’m so proud of you
But the water bill is due
Midway through, a harmonized guitar section between DeCaro and Alexander adds texture, while Staley’s high-hat work cuts through with a staccato rhythm that’s intricate and tight. Twice in the track, DeCaro employs a clever call-and-response with himself — first screaming, “What is the part that you don’t understand?” then whispering, “Is there a part that you don’t understand?” — over a descending, choppy riff.
And then comes the curveball: the outro. It’s as if the credits start rolling with a song that doesn’t match what you just saw. The band pivots to a laid-back, lilting close — soft-picked guitars, a relaxed beat, and even a violin — a surprising but soothing send-off to a chaotic and cathartic ride.
Rat Jester
