Fear Is The Enemy!!! Ugly & Unlikable, Volume II
Snappy Little Numbers, 2021
8/10
Listen to Fear Is The Enemy!!! Ugly & Unlikable, Volume II
The recording moniker of Jaden William, as Alien Neighborhood the 20 year old artist blends indie, punk and alt-rock into a highly memorable and creative listen on this 5th album.
“Cauterizer” opens the listen warm and calm before building into a buzzing, punk-friendly landscape of crashing drums and driving guitars, and “Say Goodbye” follows with a thumping and energetic display of bristling but very melodic post-punk fury.
Moving along, “Existential Extra Terrestial” leads with a playful indie-rock feel before bursting into fuzzed out alt-rock, while the acoustic and quirky “Little Lights” offers the sort of folksy ideas that are still rooted in punk sensibilities.
Near to the end, “So Long (So Gone)” howls with raw and scrappy song craft that’s got some garage rock spirit, and “Trust Yourself (Cauterizer, Pt. II)” exits the listen swift, highly melodic and with a rowdy delivery that’s loose but still quite controlled.
William comes from a town of just 567 people, and has been making music since his early teens. It’s amazing that they are already writing songs this interesting and likable, and the kaleidoscope of ideas mashed into a contagious formula might just make them the best songwriter you’ve never heard of.
Travels well with: Night Court- Nervous Birds; The Animal Steel- A Surefire Way To Get Sober