Why does this cover remind of Snoop's Doggystyle? Ok, it's a surreal, Dali version of that brick wall cartoon, so maybe this is the reinterpretation, after the party...and it's a really bizarre first impression of these guys. But you could take it as the notebook psyche scrawlings of the alienated garage band with hardcore stars in their eyes.
Audacity is a 4 piece from Fullerton, CA, and the first track, 'Ears and Eyes' is hitting that Replacements place for me, a great way to kick off a 4 song EP. It's the rocking replacements, the part I always wanted more of...not that I wasn't into the slower stuff...they were all over the place anyway and wanted it that way. So take 'Seen your video' or 'Favorite thing' speed it up just a bit, lose the super production and you'd get Audacity. The vocals are slightly blown out, the entire studio really couldn't contain any of this, they had the levels all set during rehearsal and then god dammit if they didn't go completely balls out and now there's no dialing it down. Did they plan it they way? Maybe. They switch up rhythms with a little bit of Smith Westerns blown out glam in there (?), but he really sounds like Paul Westerberg...a little gravely 'tude in there, that working man's springsteen blues voice.
'Don't be a Menace', I was stuck on this line, 'We don't go Eco!' or it's Ego, so I'm thinking it's either a nod to the Minutemen, or they're against ego rock, which of course sounds like a nightmare. I was surprised to hear another track start and realize this was a four song EP, how these guys manage to jam all this into a 45 has to have a little to do with D. Boone creeping through the grooves. They appreciate the succinct statement, the high tempo punk haiku.
The B-Side, this whole single has this great guitar distortion sound, it's thin, mixed just off into the background, with no low end...classic. The riffs again are thrown around here next to more catchy choruses...like the Hunx or Pizza's, they have a really epic energy, but seem to be a little more serious...I haven't heard one word about rock and roll or girls. It's a combination of working almost hardcore: as fast as possible and melodic harmony pop punk, all the catchy moments strung together. A little bit of a late '90s sound that takes me back to skating in the garage to old tapes of the Guerrilla Biscuits and 7 Seconds.
It makes the completely spazz solo on 'What not to do' almost impossible to replay, but they only need to ever capture half the spirit of this effort and they should be happy.
Get this one on purple or black vinyl from Volar Records, who have a bunch of other great releases to check out, including this Under the Covers Vol2 comp which is amazing...or head over to I hate rock and roll records, and get it there.
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