Ugly Runner are a four-piece rock band from North Carolina, and they've just delivered their debut EP for Cleopatra Records, titled Romanticizer. Now, right off the bat, I will say I was quite surprised to read that they were a US band, as initial listens led me to believe that Ugly Runner might have been a British act, as their music has that jangly, modern British pop/punk/rock/psych sound, but no, they are Southern boys after all. Containing six tracks, Romanticizer clocks in at less than 20-minutes, the songs not sticking around for long but managing to bring some catchy hooks and garage rock musicianship. Images of early The Beatles, The Who, Kinks, and the Rolling Stones come to mind throughout this EP, perhaps with a touch of Blur, Morrissey, and Oasis, as well as some US influences such as Tom Petty, Green Day, and the San Francisco psychedelic scene. "This Time of Year" is most indicative on the latter, a moody, swirling piece with layers of guitar twang and high pitched, nasally vocals, while "How Lovely You Are" and "Too Much TV" contain some effective riffing and power pop intentions.
While I don't think Ugly Runner are going to be of much interest to many faithful SoT readers, Romanticizer has it's moments and is certainly a fun listen if you tastes run on the more alternative/pop/psych side of the rock spectrum.
Track Listing
1 You Keep Me Up
2 How Lovely You Are
3 When The Reaper Comes
4 She Was Your Girl
5 This Time of Year
6 Too Much TV
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