Bungee Jumpers: Not Today… [Album Review]

Bungee Jumpers
Not Today…
GIANT-BEAT [2026]

“Too short to ignore, too good to skip.”

Album Overview: Bungee Jumpers are a four-piece punk band out of Chicago made up of Jack Abbott, Saskia Lethin, Opal Jones, and Adelaide Jones. The band has been putting out music since at least 2024, when they released a lo-fi demo tape that caught some attention in underground circles. In January 2025, Brooklyn label GIANT-BEAT put out Not Today… on cassette, and it has quickly been grabbing some attention. It should also be pointed out that Abbott and Lethin stay busy in the scene as they play together in a separate duo called P. Noid, which just put out a full-length called Downpour through Chicago’s Pocket Rocket Records!

Now, before going any further — is Not Today… even an album? Eight songs in under ten minutes has some people calling it an EP, and that’s a fair argument. By runtime alone it probably qualifies. But eight tracks is eight tracks, and the record moves through them with enough intention that calling it an EP feels like you’re selling it short. Call it what you want. The band doesn’t seem too concerned either way, and honestly neither should you. Not Today… moves at a speed that catches you off guard the first time through, and then you just start it over again.

Musical Style: This record is loud, fast, and recorded like someone left the levels too hot on purpose. The guitars are raw, the drums sound like a teenager who just got a kit for Christmas, and the vocals sit back in the mix like they’re coming through a wall. It’s lo-fi punk with a jangly edge — not polished, not trying to be. The band leans into the noise rather than cleaning it up, and that choice is what makes the record feel alive. There’s feedback between songs, tape-warp sounds, and a general sense that everything was recorded in one shot in a basement.

A big part of what drives it all is Lethin out front. She leads these songs with a snarl that has some real Amy Taylor from Amyl and the Sniffers energy — not a copy of it, but that same sense that she means every word and isn’t waiting around for you to catch up. It’s a vocal style that fits the music perfectly because it never tries to sound pretty. It just goes. The songs work because of that, and because the band underneath her is locked in tight the whole way through.

Evolution of Sound: Two songs from the band’s 2024 demo — “Bolt” and “Wrench” — show up again on Not Today…. Calling them re-recorded feels generous given how lo-fi the new versions still are, but there’s a noticeable step up in how the band controls the chaos. The 2024 demo was scrappy in a way that felt accidental. Here, the messiness feels chosen. The band knows what they want the record to sound like, and “Wrench” closes things out with Abbott and Lethin chanting “I know what I’m doing / You can trust me” — which is funny, but also kind of true.

Artists with Similar Fire: If you grew up listening to Bratmobile or Heavens to Betsy, this band will be an instant like. There’s also a connection to The Moldy Peaches in the way the band plays it loose without losing the melody. The Bug Club, Twisted Teens and The Boojums are worth mentioning too, along with Yuppies. None of those comparisons are exact matches, but they point you in the right direction. This is the kind of music that sounds like it was made for a specific basement show, not a festival stage.

Pivotal Tracks: “Wall” kicks the album off and is the longest track on the record at 95 seconds, and it’s the one to start with. The guitars cut out mid-song to let Lethin repeat “I couldn’t find a wall to hit my head” before everything crashes back in. It’s a small moment, but it lands. “The Beach” is almost the opposite — under a minute, the chorus is basically just “I like the beach” said a few different ways — but it works as a mission statement for what the whole record is going for. “SMD” is the most propulsive thing here, and “Oh Possum” is strange in a way that’s hard to explain but easy to enjoy with its electric energy.

Lyrical Strength: The lyrics on Not Today… are not trying to say anything grand. They’re short, odd, and often funny in a dry way. “I couldn’t find a wall to hit my head” is the most memorable line on the record, and it sums up the band’s approach pretty well — frustrated but not dramatic about it. “Buzz Off” has the band singing slightly off key in a way that feels intentional, and “Wrench” ends the whole thing with a repeated line that functions as both a joke and a real statement of confidence. The writing doesn’t overstay its welcome, which fits the runtime. Nothing is overexplained.

Final Groove: Not Today… is not a perfect record as some songs go by so fast that they barely register, and a few moments feel like they could have used one more pass before being called finished. But those aren’t really bugs so much as features because repeat listens is how you will connect to the album. The band made exactly the record they wanted to make, and it shows. At under ten minutes, it’s the kind of thing you can put on, get through, and immediately want to hear again. If Bungee Jumpers can do this much in ten minutes, it’ll be worth paying attention to what they do when they give themselves a little more room.

BUNGEE JUMPERS LINKS
Instagram | Bandcamp | GIANT-BEAT