HOMEBASE HAVE HOPES OF A BETTER FUTURE ON BLISTERING DEBUT EP

EP REVIEW | HOMEBASE – CLOSE TO SOMETHING

You can’t beat a bit of pop punk in the summer. While we’re not quite there yet, the days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer and New Jersey/New York easycore band Homebase are here to satisfy your pop punk needs as we head into the summer of 2026 with their debut EP, ‘Close To Something’.

Bursting with old school pop punk energy, ‘Close To Something’ finds the five-piece (guitarist and vocalist Matt Valentin, singer Antonio Valentino, drummer Chris Ochoa, guitarist Arturo Cordova and bass player Dave Caruso) wearing their hearts on their sleeves across five emotionally-charged, hook driven, punk rock tracks.

The title track gets things off to a great start with it’s lo-fi intro before breaking into a thunderous melody that doesn’t let up for it’s just over two minutes runtime. Some abrasive guitars and a superbly bouncy chorus as Homebase look to break the routine make for a song that’s sure to get everyone jumping when ‘Close To Something’ is played live. ‘Start Over’ is essentially an intro to second single ‘Nuff Said’ with hopes of starting over, beginning with an instrumental opening before descending to a lonely guitar and some emotionally drenched vocals. When ‘Nuff Said’ kicks in proper, it feels earned. It’s got a fantastic riff throughout, great dual vocals from Valentin and Valentino, an always relevant message about how we often get in our own way and it gets really heavy in it’s closing moments, bringing to mind fellow heavy pop punk band Four Year Strong at their best!

First single ‘Bold’ is a super-fast, thrashy song that clocks in at under two minutes and is immensely catchy – even more impressive considering it doesn’t have a true chorus! Add in lyrics about trying to find your old self and an excellent bassline on the breakdown and you’ve got another great melodic hardcore song from Homebase that really packs a punch! Closing out the EP is ‘I Feel’, a song that really captures Homebase’s scrappy, DIY aesthetic with it’s raw punk energy and chaotic sound, along with it’s hopeful lyrics about finding the strength to move forward (“Long lost time is gone, I stand here feeling numb, I wish I knew what choice to make, I wish I knew what choice to make”).

Sometimes it’d be all too easy to just say ‘this is awesome’ and move on, but ‘Close To Something’ absolutely deserves your time and attention. Across five songs, Homebase have truly captured how many are feeling in the current climate – anxious about an uncertain future while yearning for a past that no longer exists.

Also, this is awesome!

‘Close To Something’ is out now and available to stream everywhere!