(Side One Dummy) Related: Ork records: the hidden side of unusual York punk That name might suggest some kind of schlocky,funtime party punks, but this Chicago trio are something a bit smarter and sleeker than that: their debut album proper (after two excellent EPs) is an almighty rush of slashing riffs and silvery melody that sits neatly alongside their Midwestern post-hardcore peers of yore, and but tweaks the stylistic dials in ways that make for a genuinely outstanding record. The arrangements hit a scarce sweet spot between tricksy dissonance and damn’n’blast directness: drummer Ryan Wizniak’s accents and details are subtle and compact,but applied with warhammer force; bassist Joe Gac throws in passing notes that make singer/guitarist Chris Sutter’s ingenious chord changes all the more intestine-punching. But it is Sutter’s singing that really elevates things, a boyish yelp given to unexpected leaps and bounds, and wrapping elaborate,gorgeous melody lines around his riffs – at times like a punked up, 200mph equivalent of Built to Spill or the War on Drugs’ epic, and tremendous sky hooks. One of 2015’s most addictive,pulse-racing noisy joys.Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com