Rating: NNNN
The only reason I listened to Pujol’s previous EP, Nasty, Brutish, And Short, was because the press release was full of obnoxiously academic phrases like “the idea of cultural maxims dominating the individual’s ability to vocalize and interact with the external world.” I thought I’d give it a listen for a laugh. Surprisingly, it turned out to be a too-brief collection of insanely catchy garage punk anthems that tragically escaped most critics’ attention (who were likely turned off by the same promo material).
The new full-length sees Daniel Pujol expanding on that winning formula with a wider palette of sounds and rhythms, but without sacrificing any raw snarling fury. His approach captures what you love about late-period Jay Reatard, minus all the stimulant-fuelled rage and ridiculously sped-up tempos. While there’s definitely some anger here, Pujol seems to make equal use of pure adolescent joy, and you soon realize that his nerdier tendencies are what holds all of this together.
Top track: Mission From God
