If you’ve followed the US power pop and pop-punk scenes over the past five years, you’ll know that Justine and The Unclean have released two incredibly catchy albums.

In June 2020, Justine Covault and her band of Boston musicians will release their third long player ‘Every Bone That Breaks’.  Almost six months in advance, the band have just issued a two track digital single.  Not only will this keep fans entertained until the album appears, but it also teases with a much tougher musical direction.

A “double a side” release, the new download shows both extremes of the band’s sound. ‘Picking A Fight’ is straight up, classic Unclean, as the band mix pop punk riffs with a bar-room swagger, all topped with Covault’s curly, sugar drenched vocal.  Hearing it for the first time, it has an instant familiarity, almost as if they’ve blended old riffs from Dead Boys with a chorus from Jane Wiedlin.  If you’re a fan, it’ll be an instant love.

The flip side, ‘Sweet Denial’ is a great showcase for the band’s harder side as they channel a riff that sounds like it could’ve been inspired by the moodier bits of Aerosmith’s ‘Rocks’.  Once that’s coupled that to a hefty drum part for extra impact, it becomes a monster.  It’s far more about riffs than hooks, but with the volume cranked it sounds fantastic.

You can stream both tracks from the Bandcamp widget below.

The Rum Bar Records Bandcamp page can be found here.