7/10

Every now and then, a band comes along that fully embraces the notion of lo-fi rock. North Carolina’s Crooked Cranes arrive onto the scene with their debut EP 'This is Only a Test', and it’s the kind of record that feels like it was duct-taped together in a basement with nothing but leftover takeout and a pack of dying amps for company.

Opener 'GF' is immediate chaos, all feedback-scarred and emotionally cracked. The vocals teeter between unfiltered rage and tongue-in-cheek bravado, making it feel like the musical equivalent of drunk-dialing your ex, but with better guitar tone. There’s a cathartic rawness here, sharpened by the band’s refusal to play it straight. It’s both self-sabotage and self-aware in the best way.

The EP barrels forward like a lurching van with no brakes, but Crooked Cranes know how to steer through the madness. Tracks like 'Mehico' introduce unexpected charm, riding on laid-back hooks and a vocal twang that sounds like someone crooning into a cracked mirror. On 'Dolfin', they take a breath (sort of). It’s a woozy, late-night spiral that taps into vulnerability with a fogged-up kind of beauty.

But 'Interstate Song' is where they really find their stride. It’s the sound of empty roads and buzzing thoughts. The collection then veers into 'Met a Gurl', which dances along the tightrope between sincerity and slacker disillusionment. By the time 'NeWay' rolls in, it’s all guitars and gut feelings, a blissed-out ending that feels more like surrender than closure.

Fans of Pavement, Sebadoh, or those early, scruffy Wavves recordings will find plenty to love here. 'This is Only a Test' is a document of a band discovering themselves in real time, under dim lights and over fuzz pedals.