This EP is now available for pre-order on vinyl with a commemorative limited edition bag of Cozz Coffee!
It’s been a great year for EPs. DIY bands on the rise like Snacking, Arm’s Length, and Biitchseat have made a name for themselves putting out some of the best music of their early careers with EP’s they each dropped in 2021. Camp Trash put out a hell of a debut EP that set them up nicely for a proper debut LP later this year, and Home is Where was so inspired by this incredible string of EPs that they put out a six song eighteen minute record, that while being among the years best proper albums has accidentally also found itself in the conversation for the year’s best EPs.
Jersey rock and roller John Cozz has already contributed to that hot streak for the extended play format with his excellent and unexpectedly heartfelt bluegrass EP John Cozz and His Stinky Feet. While taking on a country twang was a new domain for Cozz, his straightforward storytelling was more than a natural fit for the medium. “Details”, a touching tribute to a fallen friend, is one of the most beautiful and poignant songs to come out this year, and “Mischief” perfectly captures the joy of killing a bottle of fireball with your buddies and hitting the diner at 4 AM to cause a small ruckus in your booth.
On his new EP out today Relish the Good Times John reunited with The Rippers and returned to his more traditional punk sound, while still finding plenty of pockets to innovate and surprise. Album opener “Step In, You’re In” is damn near cinematic with its massive sit com opening, “I never thought my life would be like this, waking up at 6:00 AM to step in dog piss.” The song takes a major turn half way through with barking group vocals, which at least to me felt like Jeff Rosenstock making a Talking Heads song. Follow up track “Take a Walk Dude” is about a bar fight and has the frantic energy of one, with a bounce that left me thinking about the Minutemen. John gets kicked out of the pub in the end but it was all worth it for the, “Oooooh dude, I’m screwed,” earworm of a hook and that absolutely fucking massive guitar solo that closes the track out, like John getting one last punch in.
“Italian Meats” is a good deal heavier track, with John lamenting suburban decay and being misperceived as your neighborhood changes around you. He launches out with a massive “People look at me like I’m a freak? I’m a freak? HELL YEA” with a sinisterly convincing manic energy. “Greyhound”, the closer to this extended play, is an old school love song commemorating the late nights he’s had messing with townies with his girlfriend Sam at their favorite local spot, Obal’s Inn. Obal’s is a Bloomfield institution, celebrating sixty nine years of service this year, and is where you can often find Cozz and Sam drinking a couple greyhounds and soaking in the atmosphere. It’s a touching tribute both to the girl he loves spending time with and the place they love spending it at.
Even when going back to his more usual basement rocking sound John Cozz showed he still has plenty of tricks in his bag. From the anger of “Italian Meats” to the drunken anxiety of “Take a Walk Dude” nobody paints a picture better than John Cozz. He’s one of the best story tellers making music right now and seems in total command of whatever sound takes up. Whether he sticks to his trusty EPs or decides to venture in a longer format we cannot wait to see what Cozz has in store next.
Give Cozz a follow on insta, give his label Pizza Bagel Records a follow on twitter and insta, and give this EP a rip on Spotify, Apple Music, BandCamp, or pre-order the EP on vinyl with a commemorative limited edition bag of Cozz Coffee!
