Album Review: Turf War Leaves Much To Be Desired With New EP “The Great Escape”

By: Luke Ottenhof –

Atlanta, Georgia-based Turf War oozes 70s-era rock riffs with 90s alt rock melodies. With their new EP, The Great Escape, they exercise a formula that has over-stayed its welcome, but they deserve some merit for how fun they make it all seem.

The EP contains no frills, no extras, and no bells and whistles. The Atlanta-based quintet is admittedly a little late to the party, but better late than never, right? Especially amongst some bands that hide behind aesthetics and AutoTune, some wily, barebones latecomers are a welcome sight for the summer.

The five-piece has Skynyrd-meets-Clash-meets-The Replacements down to a tee. Lead singer/guitarist John Robinson even takes some rough-edged vocal cues from former Jet’ lead singer Nic Cester on tracks like “”Get Me Outta Here.” Three guitars pumping out ‘70s style punk licks and simple beats to back them are the approach, and it works as well as it should.

The lead single, “Born To Run Free” hits home with what the band is all about. The hook is catchy and spirited, and sounds like an unreleased goodie from the days of Matt Mays & El Torpedo.

“Pay My Dues” is another exercise in straightforward, grungy rock and roll. The sing-along style chorus and simple melodies take from the Sex-Pistols less is more formula, which serves as a fun and gritty journey.

You might find yourself thinking it all sounds very similar. That’s because three of the four songs all use the same chord structure.. The friendly old G chord isn’t spared any rest, and although it’s a proven go-to, Turf War’s refusal to explore other sounds makes the album dull. It’s like they’re really cheap, tight-pocketed power chord-bargain bin hunters. When three of your four tunes start out with the  same chunky power chord, you’re tiptoeing between being cheekily fun and being unoriginal.

Luckily, the fun that Turf War brings ultimately prevails, that is if you’re looking for an album purely for a summer beer-drinking and burger-grilling-type atmosphere. It’s music for the every-man who just needs to loosen his tie, shag out his hair and sweat a little.

Ultimately, fans will quickly grow weary of Turf War’s worn-out sound. Instead of merely maintaining the status quo, Turf War must take the initiative and challenge the perceptions of what their fans have come to expect from them.

Essential Tracks: “Pay My Dues” and “Born to Run Free.”