Los Angeles is home to some of the best bands in the world. A lot of bands I am obsessed with come from this side of the world. Safety Pins, if you’re interested are only in double figures for ‘likes’ on their Facebook page. However, this is to do with music- it isn’t a popularity contest so just take my word for it that these guys are great.

If you ever wondered what Ritchie Valens would sound like if he was in a Punk band, then consider yourself lucky because Safety Pins are here to give you that experience. You’re welcome.

Their songs have this gorgeous high school sorrow- you know the kind. You could imagine hearing this band play as a form of protest against prom because the person they wanted to go with went with some idiot instead. You let go of that feeling as you get older, but Safety Pins really take you there and keep you right there with them. It’s really apparent in the song, Love.

Safety Pins have songs that are brutally fast and effortlessly cool. They’re the kind of band you’d want to be friends with. Lounge about in their garage as they practised these songs, and ate a ton of pizza between songs. They have this youthful sound that is found in say, Wavves perhaps. They don’t have that surfer feel in their music, which is totally fine by me. I just love how Safety Pins don’t sound like a new band. They sound like they’ve been doing this for decades. They take everything I love about music, and everything that draws me to Los Angeles based bands it seems. They give you that constant summer mood, but also have this beautiful melancholy within the sound. For me, they are perfect.

I’m all for finding Punk bands that make you want to play their music loud enough to piss off your neighbours. Safety Pins are a pleasure to listen to insanely loud. I love how you can really hear that addictive fuzziness in the guitar, and how the reverb trickles throughout the vocals. This is pretty great on the song, Bad Brains. Which for now, I’m calling it as my favourite. It’s a condensed version of everything I love about music. The vocals are layered in this brilliant way that adds something quite haunting to it. It sounds like it should be in some straight to DVD horror film. Maybe play it at a Halloween party, if you dare.

Safety Pins aren’t a band that fall into any genre. They aren’t a band that you can easily compare to anyone else. That’s what makes them really enjoyable to listen to. I have no idea what their live shows are like, but I reckon they are a band that in time are definitely going to be making a hell of a lot of noise beyond their local town- if they aren’t already.

As I mentioned earlier, they have this summer feel to their music but there it also this sadness that is some of the songs. The vocals have this sense of sorrow and longing, but not in a “get over it” kind of way. It is done in such a tender and cautious way, and that’s just part of the appeal for me. I love how they are unafraid to show vulnerability in their songs but also be really, really loud when they want to be. Which thankfully, is often.

They may only be a small band right now, but they most certainly have the makings of being everyone’s favourite band. They’re definitely one of my favourite new bands of the year for sure.

This band are coming for you.