This is Roach‘s second time on Turn & Work — they were here last July when I first heard them. They’ve stayed in the rotation since that time — “Beer Belly” and “Sick of Me” are still regulars in the car, and I’m grumpy about not having seen the band live yet.
Last October they kicked off the runup to their new EP with a polished version of “Bad GF” (above), which leans harder into late-’90s alt-rock than the punkier stuff from their 2023 album No One To Lose. They followed it with a stellar cover of The Breeders’ “Do You Love Me Now” from 1993(!), which to me confirmed the shift from a pop-punk band that sometimes slows things down to a grunge-infused power-pop band. The song is also perfectly suited to Roach’s style.
Everything or Nothing was released in late February, and if I’m honest, it took a while to grow on me. Now, two weeks and a bit later, I listen to it all the time. A few of these songs are permanently lodged in my brain, including the title track:
Both “Bad GF” and “Everything or Nothing” have been reworked from the demos on Roach’s Bandcamp page, but the bones of both songs haven’t changed much.
Everybody’s Dream Girl Violet de Rege Braga’s warm, recognizable vocal and her self-deprecating lyrics charm on the title track (“I will not shit the bed / this time”) and new song “Alicia”, which I think is about Bully (“Smoking till I can’t breathe, choking on tzatziki / Embarrassing myself again, astonishingly easy”):
If Everything or Nothing marks a shift for Roach, it’s one that suits them. The band has always had a ton of character, and it shines here. The EP blends loud guitars with power-pop hooks, and the songwriting is sharper than ever—sentimental, self-aware, and unshakably catchy.
Roach hasn’t announced any upcoming live shows yet, but I’m sure they’re coming once the weather warms up.
