Secret Stuff
This Is Fine
Reviewed by: Tiffany Taylor
Say hello and a good welcome to Secret Stuff: the indie rock/emo trio who is finally debuting their 5-song EP This Is Fine with Spartan Records. The band completed this EP in the midst of a college course load, relationship rollercoasters, and a dismantling amount of stress. Michael Pfohl, Nathan Childers, and Alexander Gosner recorded and wrote this in a time in their lives where things were going constantly awry. As listeners dive into This Is Fine, I believe they will agree with me when I say that their problems fueled a riveting five song masterpiece. The title of the EP fits almost too well; according to frontman Pfohl “We had what we thought was a finished record several times only to listen back through and realize it wasn’t quite ready.”
The opening track “I Knew You So Briefly, You Dead Soap Dog” immediately cascades into a repetitive guitar melody. What I already find unsettling from the EP, even sixty seconds in, is its transparency. It is hard to find anything that significantly stands out from Secret Stuff compared to any other punk/indie group. Allowing the EP to continue and not wanting to give up, it starts to grow on its listeners. As it holds true to any group similar to Secret Stuff, it is hard to ignore the painfully aggressive lyrics that flood the mind. You can find yourself screaming or yelling along, your heads starts banging, and you are hooked- Secret Stuff definitely has that going for them.
“I Lost My Dinosaur” is up next and is the most popular track thus far from the record. It opens similarly to the first song but a softer vocal from Pfohl tones it down. The chorus is everything anyone could want it to be. It is such a dance and jumpy track that not only has rhythm but the lyrics are relatable and gut wrenching. What this group notably has working for them is the band itself and its sound; the music is so well done and raw. As soon as things slow down and you hear “You can tell me I’m strong, but I feel pretty weak. It’s pretty hard to belong, when no one cares what you think” the band chimes in and takes it home. That part in the song alone had me appreciating all the hard work that went into This Is Fine.
Although the EP is only five songs, it truly says a lot. It is important when doing an EP that it is compacted with as much feeling and emotion as it can be because it is only a taste of what the band has to offer. Secret Stuff gives listeners angst and sorrow, hope and anger; they have accomplished a lot in 20 minutes with undeniable vocals and heart and soul. “Golden” and “A Man To Please” hold strong in the middle with something noticeably different than the first two songs. “Golden” comes off as soft and vulnerable, laying all they have on the table. Ending with “No Promises” serves as their anthem, pushing feeling and confidence all the way to the very end.
Listening to a band is one thing but to recognize what they went through to get here is another. Secret Stuff endured hell to produce a five track EP, hoping it will get them on the map. Instead of giving up they gave us all they had.
Rating: Listenable
