Review / 200 Words Or Less
Powerplant
A Spine/Evidence EP

Static Shock Records (2020) Mirza

Powerplant – A Spine/Evidence EP cover artwork
Powerplant – A Spine/Evidence EP — Static Shock Records, 2020

Elvis fronting Joy Division, That was the first thing that came to mind when the first song on this five song EP kicked off. Then my thoughts continued on to Gallon Drunk’s punk blues. Deep, brooding and slow and it actually sounds a bit different to the remaining quartet. Theo Zhykharyev is crooning like some drunk, evil Elvis (not Danzig!) and then all of a sudden you get the added spice of horror keyboards thrown in. Quirky and intriguing, but as I said, a bit different to the remaining songs while still retaining a clear sound of their own. Opener "A Spine" has a more dance friendly vibe and from then on things go to being a lot more energetic and even mosh friendly, culminating in the almost hardcore-like "Hurlwood", which to me brings back memories of the glorious Murder City Devils. But the pick of the bunch is number three, "Evidence", because the simple synth beat makes you want to dance i a London dive bar and drink cheap cider.

The recording project has gone from being a one man operation run by Zhykaryev to a full live line-up after last year’s LP People in the Sun. Keep a close eye on them and grab your self a copy of this simple beauty.

7.0 / 10Mirza • June 8, 2020

Powerplant – A Spine/Evidence EP cover artwork
Powerplant – A Spine/Evidence EP — Static Shock Records, 2020

Related features

Powerplant

One Question Interviews • February 8, 2021

Related news

Powerplant's Grass

Posted in Records on June 17, 2023

Recently-posted album reviews

Økse

Økse
Backwoodz Recordz (2024)

Økse is a gathering of brilliant, creative minds. The project's roster is pristine, with avant-jazz phenoms Mette Rasmussen on saxophone, Savannah Harris on drums, and Petter Eldh on bass/synths/samplers joining electronic artist and multidisciplinery extraordinaire Val Jeanty (of the fantastic Turning Jewels Into Water project.) The result is a multi-faceted work that stands on top of multiple sonic pillars, as … Read more

Final

What We Don't See
Room40 (2024)

Justin K. Broadrick's prolific output keeps giving, and may it never stop! The latest release is one of Broadrick's earliest projects, Final, which started in the power electronics tradition but since its resurrection in the early '90s, it is solidly standing in the ambient realm. Final's new full-length What We Don't See continues on the same trajectory, relishing drone's minimalistic … Read more

Bambies

Snotty Angels
Spaghetty Town Records, Wanda Records (2024)

The digital files I’ve been listening to as I write this review are all tagged to begin with the band name, e.g. “Bambies Teenage Night,” “Bambies Love Bite,” etc. It seems like a fitting metaphor. The Bambies play the kind of Ramones-adjacent garage-punk that’s often self-referential and in on their own joke. The Bambies play leather jacket-clad, straight-forward punky songs … Read more