The EP evolves from first to last track, with ‘Common Sense’ as a teaser, an intro to the other three featured songs. It has an optimistic sound, and is probably the least punk piece the band has produced. It’s lighter than the rest and grows gradually. The repetitive lyrics of “why don’t you have a little common sense” will be stuck in your head for hours.
‘Lick The Bag’ begins and their usual grunge burst comes flooding through your ears. Included in this one is a classic Viagra Boys feature - the short and sharp vocals, along with lead singer Sebastian Murphy’s harsh singing. We are in for a treat. Each song’s sound reflects perfectly what the song is called. ‘Lick The Bag’ has a chaotic, drug frenzied energy, as if you were on a mission to find your next bump.
‘Sentinel Island’ reflects a creepy island song. The feature of bongo drums gives a slight tropical effect, and joins well with the famous Viagra Boys saxophone, which is one of their most distinct and significant feature of their music. This track has a fantastic melody and proves why Viagra Boys are so unique. ‘Sentinel Island’ shows off the depth their music can go to. It’s not your classic punk song, especially with the addition of saxophone mixed with bongos and it reflects the diversity you can produce while keeping your usual sound as a band.
After two full on tunes, ‘Blue’ enters your ears and it’s slow, less chaotic and as the name pronounces, leans in with a blues effect. Again, the music replicates what the song is called. This melody shows a great coming together of calmer music with a grungier voice.
Common Sense is a mixture of timeless Viagra Boys anthems with their punk sound and their literal lyrics but is also accompanied by deeper, melodic hits. It is a fabulously structured EP and if you ever get the chance to catch these boys live, I highly recommend you do so.
