Forget all the stereotypes about punk. Night Court are a punk band, but they aren’t nihilistic or aggressive. Instead, they’re scrappy and DIY and -- while they are certainly cynical at times -- they carry an air of positivity. It’s a well-defined sound on the band’s fourth LP, with 17 bouncy songs to singalong to.
“Human Torch” is a fitting intro track, kicking off with lyrics of “No guns, no gods/ no war, no bombs” in a minute-long jamboree. The song is bass-heavy with a peppy beat and group harmonies. It exemplifies a positive message set to an upbeat rhythm. That pattern continues throughout, albeit in different ways because the band alternates vocalists. The songs with Emilor on vocals follow a similar structure, but lean more into traditional pop with a bigger focus on the chorus. To me, the Jiffy and Dave-O songs are a little more slacker-punk, still hook-driven but a little bit more offbeat, so to speak. Often, all three singers share tunes too, such as “Infrared Glasses,” which has some Pixies/Breeders-esque call and response twists before ending in harmony. “Never Say I Told Ya So” pulls all their diverse sounds in a snappy 2-minute package. Most of the songs focus on quick peppy energy, but you also get rising action (as in “Permanent Vocation”, garage rock (as in “D List”), and even shades of melodrama (as in “My Last Acid Trip”).
At heart these are pop songs, inspired by ‘90s alt rock, punk, lo-fi, and a splash of B-52’s. All of those pieces really come together on songs like “Captain Caveperson” and “Make Up Mind,” which have earworm qualities but with authentic emotion and playful dynamic shifts. While the band has a clear formula, the songs never blur together. This doesn’t sound like the same song 17 times. It sounds like a cohesive collection of likeminded tunes. I’ve enjoyed the entire Night Court discography, but it feels a more cohesive this time around, with all of those little pieces fitting together just a little more tightly without losing its chaotic undertone, like it could fall apart at any time, in the best possible way.
With $HIT MACHINE, the band moves to Recess Records and it’s a perfect fit for the band’s mid-fi poppy punk. The Recess logo feels like a fitting metaphor for Night Court’s general sound: accessible and endearing but still rough around the edges.
