Bloodstreams
This Australian band’s debut really reminds me of Death From Above 1979: 1) they’re a two piece; 2) the music is largely bass driven metal-punk but with a lot of electronic weirdness added in and 3) the whole thing is bonkers. I wonder if the lyric “It’s 1979!” from ‘Cops Capacity’ is a coincidence or an acknowledgement of source material. To be fair, this isn’t exactly derivative, and it has its own identity. Where DZ Deathrays have carved something different out from rather similar granite to that used by DFA79 is the added garage rock feel. The riff that makes up the second half of the excellent ‘Teenage Kickstarts’ was made to be played in a sweaty basement and the snarl of album-best ‘Cops Capacity’ is similarly raw. The tracks that take a weirder turn, into grimy electronica, also work really well: see ‘Play Dead’ as probably the best example. Lyrically, this is a cut above the usual too. The anti-yuppie ‘Dollar Chills’ is both scathing and thoughtful. Overall, lots to enjoy. The low-fi production and detuned bass mean the album is beautifully filthy from start to finish. Get in the gutter.