EP Review: Jovi Skyler – Call It A Day

The spirit of early punk rock lives on and breathes anew on Call It A Day, the outstanding EP from Sydney, Australia based musician Jovi Skyler.

Throughout its four songs, Skyler corrals the primal nature of punk to give each track a solid foundation, helped in large part by a vocal style that is part Peter Murphy, part Nick Cave, and all emotion.

Asshole and Lil Bo Weep draw the listener in with a bang, having an emotional openness to them that is akin to nihilism in the context of the modern trend for maintaining a carefully curated public image at all costs. That openness serves to add to their air of authenticity, that the lyrics have not only been written but truly lived.

That meets its apogee in Frankenstein, which melds vocals and acoustic guitar around a gothic/grunge fusion that serves to highlight who the real monster is. It’s a love song, possibly, but one where the flaws of the world lead only to despair. 

The grunge influence is more to the fore in Rumble, the final song on the EP, but that raw punk presence is still a defining force. That punk/DIY aesthetic also feeds into the video for each track on the EP, images that shift between the comfort, confusion, and catharsis to be found in the lyrics.

With Call It A Day, Skyler demonstrates that there’s still something new and exciting to be found in the alternative rock genres of the 80s and 90s, if – like the artist – you possess the passion and skill to find your own sound, and yourself, within them.