If you weren’t peeping the sleeve for guidance, it would be difficult to tell where one band ends and the other begins on this well-matched 45. Uniting two esteemed acts from France and New Mexico respectively, you get two down-home-style garage jammers from each band. Real rockin’, Xerox aesthetic, ski masks, donuts—what else could you possibly ask for?
There are a lot of punks here in New Mexico, but for whatever reason, there are a rare few who produce fast and fuzzed garage punk in this tradition. I was thrilled to hear there was a new Goodbye Boozy release from a solo project just outside my backyard in the remote and strange little town of Truth or Consequences. And does it ever deliver! JACKET BURNER is beautifully constructed, hook-laden and no-nonsense garage punk with the riffs and attitude to send it home. A track like “Cold Leather” shines a light on the strength of this project: it’s sing-along but spiky, and while it has a homemade sound, the production is really smartly done. Every instrument holds its own space, including the payphone-receiver vocals which still manage to come through loud and clear. The whole EP strikes a balance between intelligence and ignorance and lands right in the sweet spot. Smart music that makes you feel dumb, which only a rare few purveyors can do. When you find someone cranking out that kind of wattage, you stay plugged into it if you know what’s good for you.
