The first thing that stands out aboutÂ
Fist Fight, the debut full-length from The Cancellations, is the catchiness of the songs. The second is frontman Elijah Jonesâ lyrics about breakups (of both the band and romantic kinds) and cycles of addiction, institutionalization and recidivism, which are too dead-on to not be the stuff of lived experience.Â
Hereâs the twist:Â
Fist Fight is an absolute blast. Its juxtaposition of bright sounds and brutally honest sentiments brings to mind vintage Smiths or Cure in a sunnier-than-normal mood, or a choice opener for The Strokes or Walkmen in the early 2000s. Thereâs an oldies-radio sensibility that carries over from The Cancellationsâ previous incarnation, the Orbison-inspired Elijah Jones & the Tenderness.Â