Reviews

Clean Demon

Manic Splits Manic Splits cassette

Driving rock’n’roll-infused garage punk from somewhere in Ohio. MANIC SPLITS do a damn good job of keeping my attention throughout their nine-song cassette, despite them having a song over five minutes long which delves into some real out-there psychedelia. Nothing here is reinventing the wheel, but they are able to incorporate many different aspects of punk, garage rock, surf, rock’n’roll, etc. without feeling insincere. Through it all, the vocalist lackadaisically barks his words in some COUNTRY TEASERS-type of delivery. I considered making a vocal comparison to VIAGRA BOYS, but for once, making the COUNTRY TEASERS reference seemed like the less offensive choice.

Pal Pals cassette

Kooky, driving synth punk from Cleveland, Ohio. What a debut release! Completely unhinged subject matter and vocals on top of bopping, herky-jerky eggy punk stuff. It gets a little too artsy for me at times, but these songs have a way of feeling incredibly zany without losing their pop sensibility. I think this is great and plan on listening to it quite a few times. Excited to see what comes next for PAL.

Winston Hytwr’s Perfect Harmony Perfect Harmony cassette

Buckle in for this Ohio-based adventure; an ever-meandering river of jangle pop/lo-fi bedroom pop/egg-punk/indie rock awaits on this seven-song cassette. As soon as you think you’ve got the band figured out, WINSTON and co. throw you a curveball, leaving you guessing once more. The unexpected post-punk track “Subject of Interest” is unbelievably catchy and memorable, from its repetitive bass lines, noodly guitar leads, and impressively lackadaisically delivered vocals. It almost feels like the band is trying to play a slightly different sub-genre of the greater punk world with each track on this cassette. Perhaps this is being done to show us, the listener, that all of these sub-genres can in fact exist in Perfect Harmony.

World Headquarters Unremitting Humiliation Ritual cassette

Gloomy garage punks versing on issues of scene critique and modernity’s existentialism. Monotonous and draggy, but very well-executed. This drone duo makes a plethora of sounds in a slow and steady cadence, but still manages to hold a driving force (barely). String section is well-seasoned though a bit overshadowed in the mix, and vocals are good, too. Undefined and a bit slow, yet interesting enough for some spins. Favorite tracks: “So Broke” and “King of the Scene.” Special mention to the solid straightforward lyrics, much needed nowadays.