NOFX

Cokie The Clown EP

[4/5]



NOFX always record more songs than should ever go onto a full-length (take one look at 2002’s 45 Or 46 Songs That Weren’t Good Enough To Go On Our Other Records for proof), but unlike most bands’ B-sides, NOFX’s are usually on par with much of what actually makes it to albums–and in some cases, these scraps actually top album tracks. Thus is the case with Cokie The Clown, a five-song EP (split into two 7-inches, for those who prefer vinyl) featuring four new songs an acoustic rendition of "My Orphan Year," the standout track from 2008’s Coaster.



The EP’s title track is a blindingly fast pisstake toward drug use, while "Fermented And Flailing" and "Codependence Day" have no problem discussing the merits (and dangers) of alcohol. "Straight Outta Massachusetts," originally appearing on punk-rock kids’ show Pancake Mountain in acoustic form, gets the full-band treatment (and a few key F-bombs) and sums up exactly what NOFX B-sides should be: short, clever and hooky as hell. But the EP’s true standout is frontman Fat Mike’s somber acoustic take on "My Orphan Year," a track about both of his parents’ deaths and how he coped that cuts even deeper when there’s no double-time drumbeat backing it. It’s touching and heartfelt–you’d never guess it, but punks have feelings, too. (FAT WRECK CHORDS) Scott Heisel



GO DOWNLOAD: "My Orphan Year (acoustic)"