EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING:
Primary Colours: CD
I hope I’m not being too obscure here, but this sounds like The Bass Holes merged with Lifter Puller. Sure, there’s a comforting feeling you’re in the hands of musicians who’ve been playing for decades, even if they haven’t—circular, repeated, lyrics (so you can sing along to a song the second time you hear it), and strained almost-spoken, yet confident vocals. But if the listener zones out for just a bit, there are strong, hooky indie elements that cast the more garage elements in a unique light. It’s like holding a bare bulb underneath something; instead of where light traditionally falls, attention is brought to an area usually cast in darkness. It’s this little change of approach that makes this record fuckin’ good. It’s like those paintings where you have to have soft eyes to see the hidden picture (a schooner is a sailboat, stupidhead). I never thought I’d be hearing something akin to taking the wonderful elements of the Gibson Brothers in one ear and Superchunk in the other, and with a soft focus, hearing the two blend into something denatured from both. An outright surprise and a great one at that. (In engines, a suppression ring is a device in the crankcase that prohibits backfiring. The band name fits.) –Todd Taylor (Goner/Aarght!)