Your Pest Band Blaze By Me LP
Putting out music since 2008, these Japanese heavy-hitters keep after it with the new LP Blaze By Me. This is their seventh full-length, amongst a sea of singles, EPs, splits, and comps. Chunky guitars, poppy drums, and vocals with enough grit to lure in any listener opposed to “catchy” music, and that’s exactly what this is: catchy music, in the best way possible. “Don’t Stop the Music,” for example, is heartfelt, angsty, uses the title as an anthemic chorus hook, and…has a glam rock solo? Pretty sick. From some brief listens back, it’s no surprise that their songs used to be a little louder, faster, and more chaotic, but what we find here still packs plenty of punch, teeth-gnashing, and venom. “They’re Talking About” is a prime example of the songwriting mastery at work—MÖTLEY CRÜE guitars with the disenfranchised vocals from punk realms like WIRE, WIPERS, or HÜSKER DÜ. Great LP from this long-tenured band.