Claw Toe Chicago Punk Rock Warrior / Ingrown Ego 7″
The A-side here is a straight classic. No-bullshit bass and drums lay down a foundation that is so gloriously simple—they don’t need to do anything else, and you don’t want them to do anything else. Storytelling vocals are barked passively while the guitar spits repetitive hooks into the verses, and then the chorus drops and all of the simplicity coalesces while the guitar takes off, refusing to play a power chord at any point on the damn record. The flip is a slower, gloomier take on the same formula , a re-interpretation of the freaked-out A-side from their 2009 “Criminal IQ” 45 that I haven’t listened to in so long that I feel like I’m rediscovering them all over again here. It was great then, but this version of CLAW TOE lands even better. BIRTHDAY PARTY, PHANTOM LIMBS, and BUZZCOCKS fans will rejoice.