Griffen Handshake’s latest EP, Three Strikes and You’re Out, is a fuzz-fueled, genre-blending trip that slams together dance beats, punk energy, and pop-rock melodies with reckless abandon. The Pennsylvania-based trio—brothers Millen and Arjun Schuchert, along with Gio Mori—gives you everything from Radiohead to Green Day.
The title track, “Three Strikes and You’re Out,” kicks things off with a distorted, almost hypnotic vocal that tumbles into a whirlwind of chugging guitars and relentless drumming. The lyrics speak of inner turmoil and self-reckoning, while the hazy, layered vocals float above the chaos like a ghost lost in the storm. It’s grungy, it’s raw, and it somehow still makes you want to dance through the existential crisis.
“Kicking Rocks” takes things a step further into the bittersweet. With melodic riffs and heavy bass, the song captures the eerie feeling of nostalgia, how a happy memory can sometimes sting like an old wound. Bonus points for the clever use of recorded car key jingles and a slamming door, grounding the track in a real-world melancholy. The emotion in the vocals is palpable, making it an instant standout.
Then there’s “Wings,” the most introspective ending to the EP. This track wrestles with the lonely pursuit of making art in a neglectful world. The gradual build-up, starting with a deep bass and clean vocals, leading to soaring harmonies and anthemic guitar work, feels like a battle between doubt and defiance. The outro stripped down to bare vocals and strings, leaves the listener hanging in that quiet moment of perseverance, bruised but determined.
If you’re into music that makes you think, feel, and maybe even throw yourself around the room a bit, Griffen Handshake’s Three Strikes and You’re Out should be on your radar.
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Review by: Naomi Joan