On their 2024 release ‘Fun Time’, Mala Vista tore through nine tracks of relatively no nonsense, guitar driven material that carried the spirit of ’77 and the sounds of CBGB’s into the twenty first century. Although always more melodic than their fellow countrymen Lower Class Brats and The Casualties when approaching punk, at the release’s best, Mala Vista still conveyed a rough and ready sound. Maybe more importantly, it showed they could whip up some great arrangements: ‘Juana Le Cubana’ took a detour from punk into garage rock and power pop that sounded like an unreleased Real Kids number, and a couple of other tracks shared punk ‘n’ roll lead guitar breaks, proving further that classic sounds never really goes out of style.

That was a good record, but recognising their strengths, Mala Vista have actually opted to give fans something with more of a punk ‘n’ roll bias on this swiftly delivered follow up. The ‘Snub Nose .38’ EP could definitely be called “punky”, but it actually feels much richer than that in terms of sharp riffs. The title cut kicks off with a shrill rhythm guitar, tapping straight into the band’s punkier interests, before unleashing a blistering lead guitar that adds a shameless punk ‘n’ roll edge. The number then powers forth in classic punk ‘n’ roll style, with its echoing vocal and overdriven guitars sounding like an echo of peak New Bomb Turks colliding head first with a speed driven Rocket From The Crypt. A shouty hook taps further into a rich vein of retro punk, but this punchy workout isn’t short on melody. Listen closely and you’ll hear a dancing bassline that constantly pushes the arrangement forth, and a drum part that’s so, so tight, you’d wonder how this band could muster such an energy within a studio environment.

That’s a superb opener, but ‘Fixed On You’ is even better, since it introduces a slightly fatter sounding guitar tone which, when used to create ascending and descending riffs in a rollocking intro, creates the perfect springboard for high octane punk ‘n’ roll, while Erik LAMF’s lead guitar break shares a pleasingly reckless sound that really shows off Mala Vista’s sharp edge. As before, it’s not just about sharing a sound that that veers towards the sweaty; this is as catchy as hell too. This has a shameless, sing-along hook that pummels the title into the audience’s consciousness, making it stick really quickly, and although the lead vocal is, again, swamped with an effect that makes Mike Miranda sound a little detached, his performance has more than enough spirit to make this an instant favourite.

Opting to slow down (slightly) for the slightly longer ‘Times of War’, the band takes on more of a classic punk sound, with the sharper riffs and gang vocals drawing influence from the UK’s first wavers like The Members and UK Subs. Miranda’s gruff vocal and rhythm guitar ensure it’s still very much in the Mala Vista mould, but by the time the instrumental break hits with a hard edged riff followed by a descending melody, this could easily pass for an unreleased cut from decades earlier. Is it generic? Sure, but it sounds authentic, and it’s clearly played with love. And a smart coda where a counter-vocal and lead guitar demonstrate how a huge amount of thought has actually gone into the arrangement itself, and – despite what the prog snobs and others might try and tell you – great punk is never hacked out. Returning to a punk ‘n’ roll comfort zone, ‘No Fool’, shows off the rhythm section (Manny Dominguez on bass and Ben Heymann on drums) in great form. The two guys lock down a high speed sound from the get go, and barely wavering from that, it allows Mike to share one of his stronger vocals. There are faint echoes of classic punk here, but as with the best MV material, the rollocking punk ‘n’ roll aspects are very much the big draw. It doesn’t actually bring anything new to the band’s musical landscape, but with tight as hell playing and a decent hook, it closes this EP very effectively.

Hammering through four numbers in approximately twelve minutes, this EP is over far too quickly. The first two tracks are strong enough alone to make fans and first time listeners feel the band’s enthusiasm with immediate effect, creating a musical pairing that’s strong enough to warrant a purchase, even before taking “side b” into consideration. It could be argued that there’s nothing here that’s quite as smart as ‘Juana Le Cubana’, the bulk of ‘Snub’ still captures Mala Vista in fantastic form. If you liked the band before, it’s fair to say that the four tracks that make up this release should more than hit the mark. A highly recommended listen.

November 2025