The Apartments EP marks the fifth release for Mr.Wizard, here playing as a focused solo endeavor. The Pennsylvania-based act captures a raw alt-rock essence, blending ’90s grunge textures with punk-fueled urgency. It’s another excellent showing, after they initially caught our ears in 2022 with the I Know I Don’t Know EP.

“All the Shapes” kickstarts the EP with immediate ferocity. An angsty, punk-ready vocal delivery admits “I lost my faith” as pulsing guitar lines and escalating rhythms move into a satiating distortion-forward expanse. The track continues to immerse in its dynamic guitar work, spanning from jangling intrigue to more fervent swells. A particularly infectious, title-touting segment past the two-minute turn traverses into an anthemic send-off. Subsequent track “The Snake” also delights, its ascending vocal prowess and “think I must have said enough” admission enthralling to an ardent “talk about it” hook — raucously delightful.

Another standout track, “By the Tail” maneuvers with an initial bass-y charm that grows quickly into intense guitar riffs. Vocals shift between steadily unveiling emergences and punchy charisma, the latter especially evident in the approach to the one-minute turn, where feverish blasts of distortion move seamlessly into the bass-fronted initial movement. Finale “Doctor, Doctor” also enamors, its pleading “doctor” vocal bites conjuring a sound that lovably resembles early Modest Mouse in its raw alt-rock passion. Mr.Wizard’s Apartments stirs across all five of its tracks with a contagious, no-frills rock appeal.

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“All the Shapes” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

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