Intercourse ; "How I Fell in Love With the Void"

These guys are on the heavier side of noise rock, but are also smart enough not to just rely on brute force by delving into introspection midway through the opening track, which solidifies my attention. The lyrics are hilarious. They are smart and angry. They set the bar pretty high for themselves, so let's see if they can live up to it. The vocals howl with less malice on the second song, until getting to the chorus, which is a reverse of what they did on the opening track, but I like the tension on the verses. They are raging against the ragers here, and it is lots of fun. Almost like a stand-up set to music. Nobody can accuse them of taking themselves too seriously.

"Zoloft and Blow" sounds like it was conceived on those two chemicals. Their vocalist howls with contempt, likea drunk on the front lawn at 2 am. The drums toss in a casual blast beat as an accent while the guitar deals out dissonance. "Unsuccessfully Trying to Parse Nightmare From Reality" is convincing in its unhinged nature. "Cadaver Resume' is more of a full frontal assault. This displays the lurking hardcore leanings. The stage set for a song called "Running a Cemetery Without a License" should, of course, be darker, so they understand that assignment. 

"Cryptid Divorce Court" is basically a punk song. "I'm Very Tired Please Let Me Die" finds him screaming to be left alone as they provide a creepier sonic brooding for him to rant over. "Family Suicide Gun" finds his vocals going back into a harsher place. I will give this album a 9. I love the lyrics, but the delivery can feel like the album is just a substitution of a vocal booth for a drunk tank, but it works as it goes into something that feels real in its disturbing yet endearing nature. Drop September 12th on Brutal Panda.

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