The last time I took an extended listen to 2 Day Old Sneakers was in 2020. Now in 2024, and after more singles and another EP, they present a new EP with new members who joined in 2023. Penguin Syndrome! is still foundationally the same band from 2020, but there’s a new energy and fusion across the five songs.
The first thing that Penguin Syndrome! has over Shoe Cabinet is a brighter tone. “Penguin” has the garage rock core the band has continued to play, but there’s a little bit of British rock seeping in along with more melodic rock. It’s approachable for the new listener and will attract people a lot. It’s kind of like another angle of Rock’N’Roll Radio.
“Crosswalk” continues this new flow but transitions into indie garage rock. The tempo is slightly slower and allows 2 Day Old Sneakers to push a great chorus. The song is 4:15 and takes advantage of every second. I’m not a big fan of interludes or transitions so “Zzz” is a bit of whatever. Even though it leads to “On the Edge of Zzz,” “Zzz” could have been a slightly longer introduction instead.
“On the Edge of Zzz” is 2 Day Old Sneakers slow EP song. The beat isn’t that much slower than “Crosswalk” but the sparser instrumentals highlight how well thought out each instrument is in the composition. I think that “On the Edge of Zzz” could have been a strong EP opener.
To close Penguin Syndrome!, “Why Ladder Don’t Exist” is the song in between “Penguin” and “Crosswalk.” It shows off 2 Day Old Sneakers’ stability. The chorus follows the same overall theme as other songs but is also different enough that there’s not a blunt repetition.
2 Day Old Sneakers are adding more pieces to their garage rock origins. According to their Spotify bio, they’re “trying various music such as folk and psychedelics.” This makes a lot of sense when you listen to Penguin Syndrome!. I’m glad the band is back. This return is a massive success.
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Written by Chris P for Korean Indie.
