Vancouver's own 3/4 lady-garage-punk-quartet.
apologies, all. i've been slacking on this blog front lately. i promise that a three-fer is on the way. maybe older/timeless records that i think go unnoticed? but onto this review:
i may be alone in this, but i'm totally stoked on/excited for this band to be in existence.
It's The Evil is an awesome record from front to back. no lulls and little filler. it's just full force; aggressive, but with a hint of that rebellious apathy that i find endlessly appealing, especially in stage presence.
basically, this act is a way better version of the YEAH YEAH YEAHS. dancey but moshable punk rock. "raw" and "grungy", but not in the commonly understood sense of the terms. the emotion and "rawness" in presentation is palpable. you can't help but feel it bursting through your speakers. "grungy" in a rock-and-roll sense, but no fuzzy distortion. guitar(s) are crisp and clean, but the amount of gain is ear-piercing. same with the drums. these kids play their instruments hard.
vocally, Mish Way is whiny and wavy, but not in a nauseating or obnoxious way. her vocal style is very well balanced, especially with regards to the flow of the album. a good mix of yelling, screaming, singing, and snottiness. i hate to say it, because it seems all too obvious, but she honestly does remind of of Kathleen Hanna (BIKINI KILL) with the way she enunciates certain words in a mocking-like fashion. you know what i'm talking about. that being said, i wouldn't call WHITE LUNG a riot grrl band. which, incidentally, i think is for the better. (sorry to burst your bubble, second-wavers.) but i digress.
the bass has a distinct fender jazz sound with an excellent tone that blends well with the rest of the band, but stands out when it should/needs to. the cymbals sound like they're shattering to pieces every time they're hit. the snare is punching you in the throat. the guitar plays loud as fuck open chords and dizzying/hypnotic lead parts, but crystal clear and also (somehow) not overpowering. tracks like Viva La Rat, Shoot, and Like Dad (which are my three favorites on the albummm) feature what i find to be the raddest of lead riffs that help define the band. i also think the affect it has on the listener compliments the artwork and vice-versa. a lot of that good old fashioned 16th note stuff going on all around, but they can seemingly stop on a dime. well done.
favvsies: Viva La Rat, Two Seen, Shoot, Like Dad. (Atlanta gets a shout-out too for being hella catchy.)
so yeah, these folks are all over the interwebs: tumblr in the title,
myspace,
facebook,
Deranged Records.
someone book them a show in Chicago. like, maybe that RVIVR/THIS IS MY FIST one in September?
MORE TO COME. I SVVEARRR.
