THE DEATH SET play the United Steelworkers Hall May 4. See listing. Rating: NNNN
The Death Set’s second LP comes cloaked in tragedy. Founding member Beau Velasco died of a drug overdose right before its conception. That’s a heavy context for a band whose self-described “spaz punk” revels in sugar-rush energy and a party-at-all-costs M.O. But they manage to stick to their guns without avoiding the elephant in the room. In fact, they refer to it directly in the surprisingly sweet, nearly anthemic (for them) I Miss You Beau Velasco.
Mostly, though, the album displays their distinctive hybrid formula of double-speed tempos, chanted vocals and distorted guitar, with electronic/hip-hop production from Diplo, Spank Rock and XXXchange. Sure, songs like We Are Going Anywhere Man (with it’s “we aren’t going fuckin’ anywhere man” chorus) and Too Much Fun For Regrets take on new meaning knowing the background, but they’re also just plain fun, and no amount of misfortune can change that.
Top track: Slap Slap Slap Pound Up Down Snap