This youthful DC quartet burn brightly on their first release!
The kids are alright, folks. Washington DC quartet Petrichor are probably sick of journos like me mentioning their age (all between 13 and 15 years old, since you ask), but it’s rare that we hear a young band that gel as well as they do on this debut EP.
Self-styled as a ‘riotgrunge’ band, they’ve certainly soaked up plenty of influence from the greats of both Seattle and their native DC. Opening track ‘Chip’ is replete with chugging guitars and a gloriously deadpan semi-spoken intro, and gives way to an effortless-sounding (but probably actually difficult to write) melodic chorus. It’s swiftly followed by ‘PPP’, which surfs in on a Fugazi-esque bass line and some awesome ‘In Bloom’ style crunchy power chord action; the vocalists even singing along with the guitar line from time to time. It sounds great – why can’t more bands do that?
‘Shoe Song’ is apparently “a late-capitalist retelling of ‘The Little Old Lady Who Lived In A Shoe’”, and is probably the catchiest thing on offer here, with the chorus still bouncing around our heads days after first listen. Meanwhile, final track ‘X Marks The Spot’ was inspired by an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, and is brilliantly unorthodox – built around sparse guitars and an almost ska-style outro. It’s the sound of a band who, despite the often-serious subject matter, are obviously having a lot of fun experimenting with their sound.
It’s all served up enjoyably raw, the work of a band wise beyond their years. Petrichor clearly haven’t set any rules for themselves, and they sound like they don’t give a shit – in the best possible way. Do yourself a favour – check out this EP, and keep a close ear out for what they might do next.
‘Petrichor’ is out now – check it out HERE.
- Chip
- PPP
- Shoe Song
- X Marks The Spot
Follow Petrichor on Their Socials:
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Punk Rock Creatives Season 2: Chaos, Cats, and More Compilation Albums Than You Could Ask For..
Season 2 of Punk Rock Creatives Podcast has begun – now unleashed into the digital world. This season has kicked down the door and demanded
Album review: Grail Guard – ‘Still No Future’
Metalcore-style riffing and chunky breakdowns certainly have their place in hardcore, but ultimately the genre’s origins lie in punk, and kudos to Grail Guard for
Album Review : The Darts brand new spooky serenade – ‘Halloween Love Songs’
This record celebrates All Hallows Eve in The Darts’ own customary garage / horror-punk kind of way. ‘Halloween Love Songs’ is a quality product and
Album review: Grippers return with their ‘Disobedient Mental Attitude’
After much touring throughout Europe, Grippers found time to record their third album, ‘Disobedient Mental Attitude’, which dropped on February 6th 2026. The tricky third
Album review: Conviction with a pulse – MELONBALL find clarity in the chaos with ‘Take Care’
A few seconds of drum roll, a sharp intake of breath — and then everything bursts open. That’s how Melonball’s second album ‘Take Care’ begins,
Dead Pioneers, London Underworld, 1st Mar 2026
This is where the intro goes. So go on, bung some words in here. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod
I spend my days teaching English to foreign students, and my evenings attending as many gigs as possible. Raised mainly on a diet of 90s third-wave punk, my tastes have grown to include just about anything from trad ska to thrash metal. The Ramones are my musical gods.
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
