Delaney's Top 5 Of 2023 So Far
Midyear is upon us and 2023 has been a particularly good year for new music -- if you're me. I've been able to plug into releases from my favourite bands (sorry for the 'u'- I'm Canadian) and rediscover some old ones along the way. It's been a fruitful year for post-punk with releases from Opus Kink and Squid. While the UK is thriving, the US isn't far behind, boasting a double album from grunge darlings Skating Polly and the perfect pop-punk EP from Meet Me @ The Altar. Despite the overwhelming amount of choice, I still have my favourites -- let's get started.
1
Skating Polly - Chaos County Line
Chaos County Line, a double album, is Skating Polly’s first release in five years and is well worth the prolonged anticipation. While Chaos County Line certainly has tracks that aren’t as good as others, nothing here is cuttable. Crunch, a wall of gritty guitar noise and exaggerated vocals greet you on "Sing Along" and "Rabbit Food." "Send A Priest" is a particularly unhinged track; the guitars will leave you wide-eyed and the vocals, which sound as though they were recorded from inside a rock tumbler, will leave you breathless. The album swings wildly from the creepy lullaby quality of "Booster Seat" to the R&B feel of "Someone Like A Friend" to the shrieking guitars of "Send A Priest." It may feel like whiplash but it’s all in the name- chaos. Every track builds up the candy-sweet, fuzz-pedal-distorted world Skating Polly reign over.
2
Opus Kink - My Eyes, Brother!
Despite the general overcrowding of the UK post-punk scene, Opus Kink cut their own silhouette with My Eyes, Brother!. Opus Kink are a UK based sextet, who released their debut EP, ‘Til The Stream Runs Dry, in June 2022 to critical acclaim. Four singles from their second EP have already been released, leaving us to wonder: is there anything good left? Short answer: yes. Long answer: check out our review here.
Opus Kink wear their inspirations on their sleeve the way an atom bomb makes peace. That is, to say, a little bit violently. They take the dark swagger of Joy Division and drag it through the dirt, rough it up a bit, before layering it onto a track. The sneering vocals are there too, of course; the reach of The Sex Pistols being unavoidable in a UK punk band. Opus Kink aren’t reinventing themselves here; nor is there a particular need to. The band is talented and stand apart from their peers in new and unique ways. If you like one of their songs, you’ll love this entire EP; if you haven’t been their biggest fan and were hoping for a change of pace, look elsewhere.
3
Yves Tumor - Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Words)
Experimental, ethereal and (at times) downright erotic; the fifth studio album from Yves Tumor, Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Words), was released March 17, 2023 on Warp. While soundscape isn’t a term I typically reach for there isn’t much of a choice in this case; Praise a Lord is indeed a lush soundscape born of ambition, talent and a cataclysmic wave of reverb. ‘Meteora Blues’ and ‘God Is a Circle’ are a masterclass in confessional yet poetic lyrics. ‘Parody’ is studded with falsetto and growling guitar. ‘In Spite of War’ is a frantic dancefloor scramble punctuated with Yves Tumor’s usual snappy lyrics. Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Words) is a moody, holy mix that will make you get on your knees and pray to the nearest turntable.
4
Godcaster - Godcaster
Art-rock meets sleaze-punk meets some other rarely heard but oft referenced genre. Godcaster’s second studio album, Godcaster, is a remarkable blaze of cacophony and melody. Released in March of this year on Ramp Local, Godcaster is a theatrical, at times overwhelming, follow up to the sextet’s debut album, Long Haired Locusts. ‘Diamond’s Shining Face’, one of the first singles to be released, is one of their heaviest tracks. Also the album opener, it features trilling guitar, tense drums and horror movie screams. ‘Pluto Shoots His Gaze Into the Sun’ brings you to calmer waters- equal parts Cocteau Twins and lullaby. ‘Gut Sink Moan’ and ‘Didactic Flashing Antidote’ are chaotic cuts that manage to feature both buried vocals and exaggerated theatrical yelps on the same track. This album sees Godcaster indulging in their ability to lean into the eclectic and the strange while dousing the whole thing in grandiose lyrics and energetic instrumentation.
5
Night Court - Humans!
A lo-fi punk trio out of Vancouver, Night Court released their third album, Humans!, June 9th on Snappy Little Numbers and Debt Offensive Records. While their sound may have slightly changed since their last release, their ethos has not. Night Court pride themselves on to-the-point songs; they trim the fat and leave the listener with lean, pithy tracks. From day one the group set out to only include ‘the good bits’ in their music. In our recent interview with the band, Dave-O said, “once I feel the ‘right’ combination in my skin and bones, I know we’ve found a good bit! But I think [it’s] as much about when to show restraint as it is about quality”.
Night Court is equal parts angry surf rock meets lo-fi punk meets indie darling. Humans! is enough to satiate any appetite. This long awaited follow up to the Nervous Birds duology more than exceeds expectations. It hits hard but knows when to draw back. It’s a crash course in lo-fi punk perfection that preaches without pretension and sure as hell never gets boring.
- Delaney
