Reviews

Abandon Everything

Drill Permanent LP

A vinyl tombstone for Philly trio DRILL, who have finally resurfaced after their 2019 demo cassette only to release this LP in commemoration of breaking up. Eight tracks of skronky, shouty panic punk that have the art-schooled “household appliances as instruments” electro-wave of the first CRASH COURSE IN SCIENCE single positioned as the angel on one shoulder, and the early ’00s tech-hell dance punk agitation of NUMBERS as the devil on the other—cowbell is banged generously, synth whirrs and squiggles and squeals, and gyration-ready bass lines hold everything together like extra-sticky Krazy Glue. The twitchy beats and frayed-nerve shrieks of opener “Within Reason” untangle into an unexpectedly melodic (but still resolutely off-kilter!) sung chorus, and the doubled-up, sing-song chants from bassist Nina and synth player Sonam on “Pipsqueak” provide a playful counterpoint to the band’s wound-up instrumental squirm; Permanent is a continuous push/pull between anxiety and serenity, but as we all know, anxiety always wins, and so did DRILL.

Flatwaves Tell Me Secrets LP

Oh, this is quite nice, no doubt about it. Has a modern MY BLOODY VALENTINE shoegaze-y vibe, but also incorporates a little bit of blackgaze—very atmospheric and vast, as if LITA FORD started singing with SWERVEDRIVER. This album is a master class in songwriting and production; you can really tell that a lot of care went into both facets of the recording process. Really fantastic work here, and well worth a couple dozen spins.

Positronix Miss Universe 12″

The 12” EP continues its victory lap as the coolest format going now in punk. This is a tight handful of throbby, synthed punk with vocals that absolutely send it to the balcony of the theater. It’s hip, it’s referential, it bounces—there’s really not a hair out of place here. “Ascension Day” really stands out, with a chilly moodiness and great harmonies, but every track here is a winner. The guitar shines here too, with leads that veer away from the usual minimal, motorized appeal of synth punk and bring plenty of arpeggiated melody to add another layer to the overall sound. Stack all that up against the rousing lyrics hollered against a looming dystopia, and you’ve got a foolproof formula. Rage against the dying light and all that.