Jeff Ubetcha x Rankd

Jeff Ubetcha takes Brighton to the Midwest with new EP, Better Than This

The Brighton math rock quartet “Jeff Ubetcha” have stayed true to their unique sound with this new EP, each track almost transporting you to a smoky garage show in middle America. Following their release “Space Flying Tiger Drop” with Small Pond last year, this new EP is a follow on from that same sunny, bittersweet sound. With a divided genre like emo, it gets harder and harder to please everyone, but I do believe this EP has something for everyone. 

The single, “Drastic Park” is THE road trip song. It has this dreamy energy with technical riffs and beautiful harmonies that goes in multiple directions with seamless transition. The sound is so perfectly lo-fi, which is something rather difficult to capture organically now. 

The stand out track for me, is the 4th track, “2 In The AM/PM”. The song begins with a staple to the genre, a hilarious sample from iconic piece of British cinema “The World’s End”, and then an upbeat emo riff that goes on to accompany this contrast of harsh and soft vocals that add a nice indie rock touch to the track. What I like a lot about Jeff Ubetcha, is this meld of influences put through the lens of one genre.

 Midwest emo can be so predictable at times, with a very identifiable sound, but Jeff Ubetcha challenges that, keeping those well loved elements and bringing through all of these different touches to elevate their sound. I’m looking forward to seeing what Jeff Ubetcha do next, and hopefully catch their wonderfully unique sound at a show. Their release party courtesy of Sugar Free looked like a blast back on July 8th, and is the start of a string of successes for the 4-piece!

Listen to Jeff Ubetcha’s new EP ‘Better Than This’ here!