A third album of clever, angular, abstract, oddly appealing and also retro indie postpunk by the Montreal trio of former Ought members Tim Darcy (vocals/guitar) and Ben Stidworthy (bass), along with Evan Cartwright (percussion) with a title reflecting their name as an acronym and a call to re-appraise the way the the world should work - in other words what they’d sum up as “socialism vs. hell”. Dark, catchy, thrumming bass lines, steady, sometimes polyrhythmic drums, resonant, jangly new wave guitar textures and a bittersweet, wistful, sometimes half-spoken vocal delivery mark their style, from opener Forced Position, standouts Hedgesitting (“When you were young, you came to make it / These are panic punches, but your arms have grown”), the more delicate, oddball woozily syncopated Fainting Spells, but most particularly the punchy, catchy, ironic Haveluck Country: “They’re so healthy / Oh so healthy on drugstore vitamins.” Polished Knives is another strong track, there’s a muddier middle section, Much of A Muchness has is like a downbeat Strokes. The album with a strong finish, especially with Skywriter’s Sigh, reminiscent of early Smiths crossed with The Fire Engines: “Don’t romanticize a better time / They'll put your cot outside in the rain / Feeling weak in metatron gaze / We brooded and waited, and where did we get to?”. Wry, wiry, and weirdly wonderful. Out on Fire Talk.
New to comment? It is quick and easy. You just need to login to Disqus once. All is explained in About/FAQs ...
Feel free to recommend more new songs and albums and comment below. You can also use the contact page, or find more on social media: Song Bar X, Song Bar Facebook. Song Bar YouTube, and Song Bar Instagram. Please subscribe, follow and share.
Song Bar is non-profit and is simply about sharing great music. We don’t do clickbait or advertisements. Please make any donation to help keep the Bar running: