Homer Junior - ‘Probably Fine’ review

Album review

25 Oct

A momentary tale of anger, remorse and healing, “D-I-Cry” Indie/Punk trio Homer Junior from Cheltenham are ready to go with the release of their debut EP Probably Fine in which they unveil a soundscape that transcends their earlier work, through in part the mixing and mastering help of Rich Mandell from Happy Accidents/ME REX.

Since releasing their debut single “Uncomfortable” on March 2, 2019, Homer Junior has experimented with their sound, ultimately settling into a grungy-punk sound, which faintly echoes the sound of the indie-rock band Martha.

The EP opens with “Spare Room” which sets the overarching emotional tone of what's to come. It navigates the difficulties of having a drunken night out alone. The lyrics “I get scared about the things I’ve said until I get up and set fire to my phone” convey a deep sense of dread and remorse. The outro elevates and amplifies the paranoia and remorse by abruptly repeating the line “set fire to my phone”.

In a revitalising shift, “Fun Sponge” changes the mood with light-hearted and uplifting energy. The superb fast-paced drumming and rhythm guitar work together to create a fun melodic sound which reflects well on the darker themes on the EP. Lyrically, the track takes a negative tone, ironically critiquing the type of person who focuses on the negative side of things, a “Fun Sponge”.

The third track on the EP is my personal favourite. “Get Confident, Stupid” conveys the emotional weight of hopelessness and self-doubt, through which the lyrics paint a picture of gloom: “Turned out to be a spanner in my own machine, I keep on slipping up. Is this living the dream?” The song develops into an angry climax toward the end through the intensity of: “I’m the fucking spanner in my own machine” which is accompanied by an aggressively driven bass tone.

In contrast to the bleakness in "Get Confident, Stupid,” “Better” adopts a more upbeat tone. With lines like “I find it hard to write now. Because I kind of feel alright now.” and “Is it too bold to claim that my brain’s on the mend?” The track tackles the struggle of healing and self-acceptance. Yet even in the moment of optimism of feeling better, the overarching dark theme of the EP seeps through the seams with the line: “But the whole fucking thing’s on the edge of a knife. It’d be easy to relapse, I think that I might.”

Probably Fine concludes with “When We Are Grown Up.” a track with a slow vocal melody and gentle guitar backing. It begins by reflecting on memories of meeting a partner. Around the 70-second mark, the song breaks out into an explosive breakdown that encapsulates all the emotions throughout the EP with the line: “I was holding you back, so I took a look at myself and said, fucking hell nice one jackoff. Come and have a drink with me.” This song feels like it was arranged with moments in mind for fans to scream their hearts out during live performances, most notably the shout of “I never deserved you at all!” which is my favourite lyric from the EP.

Homer Junior has truly elevated their sound with Probably Fine, they tell a compelling narrative throughout the EP. Each track has its own individual emotional journey which also contributes to the overarching themes of anger, remorse and healing. A strong EP debut which I would love to see Homer Junior perform live but for now, I find myself eagerly waiting for what comes next!

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