Bad Moves Untenable LP
I fucking love BAD MOVES. Their last record blew me away and I was so eager to hear this new one that I pre-ordered that mess and have spun it several times before MRR assigned it for me to review. Let me just mention that the LP comes with a BAD MOVES crossword puzzle and it was an absolute delight to solve that while listening to this record. Their songs are poppy, and catchy as hell. Between the rhythm guitar riffs, sick leads, and three-part vocal harmonies, there’s so much melody packed into each track. And they’re political as hell to boot! Their song “Working For Free” lays out the horrors of capitalism, wage inequality, and class war all in just over three minutes. But then there’s their single “Party With the Kids Who Wanna Party With You” that starts slowly and sets the foundation for this awesome build-up in the bridge, before it explodes into an all-out dance party. It’s emblematic of the song itself, too—spend some introspective time to figure out who you are, find the community you want to be a part of, and then never let them go. BAD MOVES are like a close friend from that idyllic community who not only highlight the social justice work that needs to be done, but make you feel seen, heard, and loved while they do it right alongside you. Plus, on the surface alone, their songs are all so bubbly and beautiful that I find myself entranced and smiling every time I put them on. I hope they never stop making new music.