Reaper
Maiden Voyage, 2019
9/10
A trio of Welsh rockers with an affinity for the noisey parts of ‘90s punk, ¡Que Asco! make quite a dent with this first album, where pop undertones are covered in a healthy glaze of dissonance, grit and rowdy dynamics.
“Marigolds” starts the listen percussive strong as forcefully strummed guitars enter the lo-fi, punk spirited anthem, and “Drive You Home” follows with a post-punk influence where mood is key as the three tip their hat to heroes like Sonic Youth and Unwound.
In the middle, “Dino Jeremy” recruits a turbulent atmosphere of carefully calculated rock, while “Mud Pie Day” glides by with a quirky quality amid the fuzzy, noisey backdrop. “John Gotti”, one of the best tunes here, then alternates between tuneful angular sounds and bouts of busy, brisling alt-rock.
Near the end, “Sharkipelago” finds a more subdued place to reside amid swells of intense percussion, raw guitar and some of the most visceral vocals in the grunge influenced tune, and “Lips Like Sugarcane” ends the listen bass heavy and with nods to the early days of alt-rock.
Recorded on a shoestring budget, these 3 prove that you don’t need high priced studio effects and a team of producers to make some fantastic, melodic racket that fans of the mid ‘90s Olympia scene as well as the post-punk brilliance of the Touch & Go label will digest quite easily
Travels well with: Sebadoh- Bakesale; Unwound- Fake Train