Together Pangea - Bulls And Roosters (LP) - Clear Vinyl

Together Pangea’s Bulls and Roosters landed on 25 August 2017 through Nettwerk Records, and it still feels like the moment this scrappy LA trio stepped out of the garage without losing the buzz in their blood. William Keegan, Danny Bengston and Erik Jimenez had already built a rep on sweat-soaked, shout-along sets and the scuffed charm of Badillac and The Phage, but here they lean into sharper songwriting and cleaner lines. The edges are still jagged where they need to be, just sanded enough to let the hooks bite harder.

You can hear that shift straight away in the way the guitars chime rather than splatter, and how Keegan’s voice sits up front, confident and conversational. The band had flirted with a more melodic approach on The Phage, and Bulls and Roosters commits to it with a grin. It is still rock music you can spill a beer to, only now the choruses sneak up on you in the tram home and refuse to budge.

“Money On It” was the calling card single, and it earned attention from places like Stereogum and Consequence of Sound for good reason. It is lean and catchy, the kind of tune that could slip onto a radio playlist between The Replacements and early Strokes without raising eyebrows. Keegan writes with a sly shrug here, coolly resigned but never bored, while Bengston’s bass keeps everything bouncing along. “Better Find Out” carries that spirit too, walking the line between jangle and fuzz with a melody that feels older than the band, like a pub classic that’s been hiding in their back pocket.

What makes the record stick is how unforced it sounds. Together Pangea are not trying to prove they can be polished, they are just writing songs that hold up whether you are pressed against a stage monitor or cooking dinner on a Tuesday. The tempos swing, the guitars lift in the choruses, and Jimenez drumming snaps with a live energy that keeps the sugar from getting too sweet. When they push the pace, there is still that old delinquent spark, but when they pull back, there is warmth and space for Keegan’s knack for a one-line gut punch.

The whole thing feels like Los Angeles at golden hour, even when the lyrics tilt anxious. Sun in the sound, doubt in the heart. That tension suits them. It also puts Bulls and Roosters in a nice spot historically for the band, marking a step away from the splatter-punk tags that stuck to their early days while keeping the immediacy that won them a loyal crowd. It is a move plenty of garage-punk outfits attempt and fumble. Together Pangea make it feel natural.

If you care about the physical experience, Bulls and Roosters vinyl is a tidy way to hear that balance. The guitars have a pleasing bite on wax, the vocals sit right where they should, and the low end feels solid rather than boomy. Crate-diggers who have been chasing Together Pangea vinyl since the Burger-era releases will find this one a reliable spin, especially if you like dropping the needle and letting a side play through. If you’re hunting in a Melbourne record store, it is the sort of sleeve that tends to disappear from the bins quickly, so keep an eye out. Otherwise, it is easy enough to buy Together Pangea records online, and most shops that specialise in vinyl records Australia wide will have a line on it or can order it in. If you are building a run of Together Pangea albums on vinyl, this sits neatly between the ragged fire of Badillac and the even shinier gear they’d explore later.

Seven years on, the songs still feel tour-tested, sweatproof and welcoming, which is probably why fans keep circling back. It is a gateway record for newcomers and a keeper for lifers. If you missed it first time and you like your rock songs with grit under the nails and a chorus you can belt in the car, Bulls and Roosters has money on it paying off.