Admittedly a bit late to the Sheer Mag party, I didn’t start hearing rumblings about the Philadelphia-based band until after its 2016 SXSW show. Friends returning from Austin gushed about the high-energy punk outfit who, at the time, had only put out a couple EPs.

Flash forward a year and the band is getting ready to release Need to Feel Your Love, its full-length debut album. It’s a fast-paced and vibrant political protest, though the movement appears powered by love. A glance at the retro cover art gives you a clue about what’s to come: an album that is equal parts Thin Lizzy-inspired throwback and modern riff-punk.

Sheer Mag kicks things off with “Meet Me in the Streets,” a fierce fight song centered around Inauguration Day. “Come on down/ Get in the mix/ We get our kicks/ With bottles and bricks,” sings Tina Halladay in her raspy, sharp voice.

The protest theme carries through on tracks like “Expect the Bayonet” (“When the name came came down/ I covered my ears/ Afraid of the sound”), “Rank and File” and riff-riffic “Turn It Up.” “Just Can’t Get Enough” fittingly serves as the album’s first single, a radio-ready introduction to the rest of the album. 

The album’s title track, infused with a touch of disco, is a reflection on a relationship that’s lost its passion. “Now I need to feel your feel your love/ Baby, I need to be loved,” Halladay begs on ballad. “Suffer Me” is another example of a slow (for Sheer Mag) song that holds onto its energy with the combination of Halladay’s voice and driving guitar.

“I get hypnotized when the record spins around,” Halladay sings on “Pure Desire,” as she paints a picture of ‘70s roller-rink love that can be extrapolated to any era. There’s a softness to her voice on this track at times, while Hart and Kyle Seely (bassist and guitarist, respectively) keep the melody chugging along.

Though it sounds far from overproduced, Need to Feel Your Love is much more polished than past releases. It’s a punk and poignant call to action through love. Be warned: do not listen to this album at half-volume; blast it full. Catch the band with Tony Molina at the Chapel on Sept. 29. 

Follow journalist Brandi Smith on Twitter, Facebook and BrandiSmith.me.