War Regards
File 13, 2022
9/10
The 4th album from Chicago’s The Poison Arrows, War Regards has Patrick Morris (bass), Adam Reach (drums) and Justin Sinkovich (guitar, vocals) expanding of their punk/hardcore template with no shortage of exploration and creativity.
The title track opens the listen with thumping drums, jagged guitar and rugged singing that makes for an interesting version of math-rock, and this creativity continues to the charged and angular “Mood Swings I Don’t Know”, which carries traces of post-punk.
In the middle, “Night Coffee” gets hypnotic with its firm, swirling version of post-hardcore, while “We Are Collateral” moves with a slower pace of thick and hazy rock that seems indebted to the D.C. scene in the ‘90s and also welcomes the rapper Sterling Hayes (SaveMoney). “Laterally Speaking”, another slow burner, then brings power and grace into the tense but very agile climate.
Further still, “Seek Harbor” pairs throbbing bass with very meticulous guitar that might remind you of Girls Against Boys, and “Altered Medication” exits the listen calm, mysterious, and balanced to yield the most amount of grit and beauty.
If you’re like me and had never heard of The Poison Arrows before and own a significant amount of records on the Dischord label, you’d be wise to acquainting yourself with War Regards.
Travels well with: Blackout Transmission- Sparse Illumination; Girl Loves Distortion- You Better Run, Your Highness