I was not especially “wowed” at first. To me, the lyricism stood out the most, as it felt quite poignant, especially in the track “Natural Death.” Some of the first couple tracks blended together as they were similar tempos and styles, but they were immediately disrupted by the absolutely funky, groovy piece that is “Diamond Dust.” That caught my attention and got me hooked again for the next couple tracks.
Secrets of Pain-Free Living is the first official release from Philadelphia’s incendiary post-punk/noise rock trio CULT OBJECTS. Swirling shoegaze-y guitars are combined here with Lauren Leilani Iona’s raw, ragged howl, a powerful match for her honest and emotionally vulnerable lyrics. There are moments where all the clangor reminds me of none other than SONIC YOUTH. The noise is at its harshest and most uncompromising in “Glue Trap,” with its layers of piercing guitar squall, while tracks like “Sea Foam” and “When Will a Fire Come?” sound downright poppy by comparison. “Scorpion Grass” is perhaps the most captivating moment on the record, a six-minute experimental epic anchored by a hypnotizing rhythm section. This is pretty potent stuff.
