With his first EP and second release of 2023, Scarlatamusic brings the energy with Rough & Tumble. For an all-instrumental album, it easily holds its weight with other skatepunk releases from the year and even carves out a new place for itself in which to chill. 

From the absolute get-go, there is an unconscious amount of energy. “Determination” leads the album with a simple cymbal intro and an almost overwhelming wave of guitar suddenly crashing in. It’s a nearly classic riff; it’s furious but just as calm as the ocean receding backward before a tsunami strikes. 

With such a furious opening, the main rhythm guitar holds steady on a series of riffs that help provide layering to the track. Over the top, Scarlata lets it rip note after note, combining a succession of repetitive variations with slight breakdowns.

Scarlata could easily fall into an easy-to-find melodic pattern in the songs, the same five or six patterns with no real differentiation. But small note changes allow for a bit of creativity and a jolt of electricity throughout the songs. Also, with it being a purely instrumental album, it’s easy to attach to a riff and follow it all the way through. 

That’s where the title track, “Rough and Tumble,” comes in at full force. It has a powerful riff to start that falls into a similar pattern as “Determination,” but a new change of pace in the first 30 seconds helps catapult it into a different realm. The drumming on the track also takes it over, enhancing a hard, steady beat to compliment Scarlata’s rhythmic sounds. 

However, “Pressure Cooker” is the best song on the album for the subtle inclusion of a bass guitar. The underlying bass is played almost as fast as Scarlata’s guitar, adding a deeper edge that the EP was missing. To help it come together, Scarlata’s guitar stays in the upper half of the fretboard for almost the entire song, a huge contrast to the previously mentioned songs.

Overall, the Rough & Tumble EP can be considered an instrumental masterclass with high-octane energy that has just enough tricks and flourishes not to become monotonous. It’s the perfect skatepunk instrumentation that can get anyone thrashing along.