Pawn Pawn – Halloween (Digital EP – NoFocus Records)
I had never heard of this American group before, but earlier this year, they released the EP “Halloween”.
The three tracks featured here are all rooted in Pop, yet they shift between Dark-Pop and Industrial-Pop. At times, the sound feels raw and unpolished, which adds a certain charm. Electro and guitar complement each other seamlessly, leading to the final track—the most Pop-oriented of the three—which builds into a powerful final part with soaring guitar work. The delicate female vocals fit perfectly within the overall sound.
This release carries a sense of ‘free-form’ creativity, leaving me curious about what they will deliver next. (Rating:6).
Vocalist Liz Owens Boltz described the EP as built around emotional extremes, saying “Each of the songs on the EP is an exploration of emotional extremes: vengeance, obsessive attraction, jealousy.”
Listen to “Jealousy Looks Good On Me”:
Read the news on ‘Halloween’.
About Pawn Pawn
Pawn Pawn, hailing from Toledo, Ohio, crafts a blend of darkwave, post-punk, and nu-gaze, resulting in an indie synth-pop sound. The trio comprises Liz Owens Boltz on lead vocals and guitar, David Daniel Smith handling drums, percussion, and various instruments, and Brandon William Boltz contributing on guitar, bass, and keys.
Their discography includes the 2018 album “Bedtime” and the 2022 release “Mourning”, featuring tracks like “I Don’t Want U 2 B Happy” and “Hopeless but Stable”. In November 2024, they unveiled the single “I Can Only Tell You With My Eyes”, followed two months later by the “Halloween” EP reviewed here, released via NoFocus Records.
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