If the number of inserts correlates to the enthusiasm of a band then Melbourne’s King Tears Mortuary are about to implode. Hand colored band fliers, lyric inserts, label listings, all different paper stocks says we really REALLY care about this crazy project. We will spend countless hours putting intricate packaging together and drive any amount of miles to play any venue that will have us because we plan on doing this FOREVER. If the pace and energy on this record is any indication they’re going to need a LOT of stimulants.
I was hoping this cover eluded to some kind of hopped up punk twee inside, like Love Is All meets X-Ray Specs and A-Side's "Grease Trap" confirmed my suspicions. The jangle is tight and blown out, they know just enough about playing together and their history but obviously threw the rest out the window. Completely unhinged like Pens or Divorce they get exactly the sort of chaos they wanted, her vocal is excellent and the guy joining her in the chorus, just the kind of thing that’s exciting to watch let alone listen to. "ABCs" uses feedback and jangle to throw you into this deep vocal with a vibrato that’s louder than anything else like a halloween greaser on stage singing about growing up. A guitar plows through the solo and ends with more feedback which is never accidental. "Flippers" yells right off - I mean how fucking confident could you possibly be? I think they’re talking about a freakshow lady with flippers but she’s stepping all over her own vocals, layered with cheap guitar peaking into the PA in silted perfection.
B-Side’s "Face Blind" has a bass line open into weird distortion and chorus with those manic female vocals, maybe someone else a little more restrained with crafty melody in a squeaky watery chorus. Layered with that Coathangers feel focused on the blown out part nailing these brief perfect moments with one chorus AT 45 RP*&#$%%@M’s
"2manysamz" guy vocals are back with that talky delivery mixed so crazily loud, but insanely youthful and optimistic. "False Pregnancy" ends with jangle and fuzz bass, charged female vocals are back - god she has a fantastic sense of melody I mean there’s nothing that would have you come up with this from the instrumentation, and is completely casual about it - making even better. Like The Unicorns or their dirty cousins carrying around their blanket followed by a cloud of flies. Gets dirtier by the end and feels frayed like they threw up their hands and said we aren't going to ever capture this any better than that last take.
Get this from Vacant Valley Records.
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