EP REVIEW: Puppet – Plaiins

Multi-national punk trio PLAIINS are back with their second EP Puppet. Having only been together as a band since 2021, PLAIINS have done anything but fly under the radar so far, from receiving attention and airplay from BBC Introducing, to a sold-out show in Berlin, to playing a support spot with PRESS CLUB. When it comes to their music, along with heavy influence from alternative and punk, they also look to the heavier sounds heard within hardcore and metal, which only helps to solidify their place as an exciting and up-and-coming band within the scene.

From start to finish, PLAIINS demand their listener’s attention. Opening track Your Friends All Bore Me kicks off immediately with fast punk-rock instruments with loud, angry vocals to match, and when you add into the mix a gnarly breakdown and catchy “na na na”s heard throughout, it’s quite an impressive statement made in only 90 seconds. Moving into Wooha! (speak easyyy) the harsh vocals continue to make their presence known, this time with a cool bass in the first moments of the song before the full band comes in and switches it into an alternative rock track.

It’s all been incredible so far, but POLIDICKS is when things truly go into anarchy mode and has us prepared to overthrow society as we know it with this alternative punk-rock fusion with lyrics criticising the corruption of politicians who truly don’t care about us unless it comes with personal gain. The next couple of songs aren’t so serious; there’s Puppet, which is just a plain cool alternative rock song; and Chelsea Smile that has a fun rhythm at the start which certainly grabs your attention and only makes you want to dance along, even during the more macabre spoken-word piece that goes over the themes of the track.

And finally, we get to Nothing’s Gonna End Us Till The Aliens Do It. It has an insane rock opening and with the use of elements from industrial rock and electronic music, you just find yourself fully engaged and excited in this ultimately just cool and badass song. Puppet is just a fantastic EP of alternative rock and punk that gets straight to the point. It’s amazing to think that this is only the band’s second EP, and yet it feels like they’ve been a part of the scene for years. We can’t wait to hear what comes next for PLAIINS.

Rating: 9/10

Puppet is out now via self-release.

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