Old Cross Go Acoustic and Nobody Dies

Jan 10

*The above, the album cover and social share photos by* *Justin Witmer—courtesy of* ***Old Cross***

Old Cross, the melodic punk band born from the water-dripping bicycle-chain city of Portland, Oregon, offers up a short and precious EP of acoustic renditions drawn from their two full-length albums, Dead End Lullabies and Daggers. These Rose City sons had a couple dozen tracks to choose from and landed on a near-perfect combination for their first volume of acoustic sessions. Equal parts Off With Their Heads and Iron Chic, these four tracks beg you to dig deeper into their back catalog.

*Photo by* *Jordan Henline—courtesy of* ***Old Cross***

They launch with “Dead End Lullabies,” which also opens their 2024 album of the same name and remains one of my favorite tracks by the band. The guitars are full-bodied, a welcome contrast to similar acoustic punk releases where they often feel thin and tinny. Here, the low end frames the opening hook beautifully. While the original is bombastic, this version strips the song down to its heartfelt lyrics and brings the focus squarely onto Chris Hahn’s vocals. The electric riff is reduced almost to a flat pick, to great effect.

“When the Skeletons Bloom,” again from Dead End Lullabies, begins with a Social Distortion meets country and western-style pick strum, but instead of Mike Ness’s gravel, we’re carried along by Hahn’s crisp delivery. A slight synth backdrop adds an ethereal accent to the intro, and the lightweight electric lead doesn’t detract from the acoustic intent. Instead, it nudges those chugging strums forward.

Perhaps the most striking departure from the original comes with “Suddenly.” It opens abruptly, treating us to light piano and string accompaniment. The original, found on their 2020 album Daggers, is a booming, D-beat-driven anthem. Here, it feels lonely and forsaken, like a walk across the Burnside Bridge at 3 a.m. Anger is replaced by grief.

*Photo by* *Justin Witmer—courtesy of* ***Old Cross***

Finally, the band turns in a true folk-punk moment with “Cross,” also from Daggers. This song pulls me straight back to the living rooms and basements of the mid-aughties, where artists like Mischief Brew and Saw Wheel stole my soul. I can almost smell those crusty climes as I listen, and the smile doesn’t just creep onto my face—it slaps me. Hahn sings, “Now I don’t have a home here anymore / Our moments we’ll never get back / When memories attack.” Indeed. Well played, Old Cross.

After discovering Old Cross on a road trip through the southern Oregon outback in June 2025, I carried them with me while cooking meager dinners over a camp stove, sleeping in my van, and fly fishing across the deserts, forests, and coasts of the Beaver State for the rest of the summer. I finally caught them opening for Codefendants in Corvallis in August, and their live show did not disappoint.