“Been around the block enough times to know this place is boring.

Spent so much time with myself, my reflection can’t stand to look at me.”

This opening lyric for the title track and EP called Pretty Little Polaroid – the debut release by La Crescenta artist Reconciled Affection that is being released on Friday, July 17 – was not inspired by COVID-19, but these five songs are perfect for summer and may be the prescription that is needed to either enjoy coming out of the pandemic or hunkering down for just a little longer.

With powerful arrangements, lush keyboards that nuance melodic punk guitar on some of the tracks, powerful drumming, and vocals that move effortlessly from smooth to edgy, one can call Reconciled Affection cinematic punk. This would make sense, too, because the act’s songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Jones is an alumni of the Crescenta Valley High School Music Department, Pasadena City College – where he played center snare drum in the Tournament of Roses Parade – and is now a senior music composition major at California State University, Northridge.

Jones’ guitar playing is both powerful and inventive and shines throughout the record along with the songs themselves that take an honest look at the hope and challenge of relationship.

Pretty Little Polaroid can be found on Friday on Spotify, Apple Music or wherever folks get their music and at reconciledaffection.com.