Have You Tried Jogging?

I was kind of surprised to see a new Bitter Branches record this year. When older dudes come out of hardcore retirement with a new band, I guess that I don't really expect them to stick around too long. Bitter Branches released a five song 12 inch in 2020, and then a two song 7 inch in 2021, and I expected that that might be it for the band. I was happily proven wrong.

While I enjoyed the first Bitter Branches EP, it wasn't something that I returned to very often. So while I was happy that the band was releasing a new record, I didn't feel the need to hunt down any special limited pressing, and I just grabbed a copy of Your Neighbors Are Failures from REVHQ when I was placing an order. Initially, I was put off by the color pattern used for the vinyl, but I'm starting to come around and now I'm kind of digging the orange and black version that I received, and think it flows nice with the cover art. As a side note, I didn't even think that the band name was on the front cover until I was looking at this photo that I'd taken.

As for the record... holy shit... this thing surprised the hell out of me. I really liked the Along Came A Bastard 7 inch, as those two songs hit hard, and with Your Neighbors Are Failures, Bitter Branches continue that trend of anger and agression. I'm surprised with how much I am loving this record.

I don't really collect multiple copies of new records anymore. I'm not interested in keeping up with the dozen different shitty looking color vinyl variants that the labels push out these days. Instead, I will usually just take whatever less offensive color vinyl option I can get and be okay with it. Cover variants, however, are my weakness. As soon as Marcus mentioned that Equal Vision was selling a version of Your Neighbors Are Failures with a special screen printed cover, I jumped into the store to see what was up. Like I said, I was really liking the album, and while I wasn't excited over the splatter vinyl, the special cover had me sold.

Number 100 of 150 made with the red and black splatter vinyl and the special cover. This is a really nice looking version.

After I originally picked up the ACAB 7 inch on clear with yellow splatter vinyl, I discovered that the record was also pressed on pink. I kind of wanted one since pink is the best vinyl color, but I had talked myself out of chasing one. As I was in the EVR store buying a second copy of the Bitter Branches album like a fool, I figured that I might was well go full idiot and pick up a second copy of the 7 inch as well.