Big Ups – Eighteen Hours Of Static
Eighteen Hours Of Static is anything but. It’s not a Kevin Drumm record for God’s sake. Instead, Big Ups’ debut is just shy of 30 minutes of exhilarating punk that listens like a checklist of all that’s good in noise. As the guitars explode in “Grin” and during the anti-religion anthem “Atheist Self-Help” you get reminded of classic, snotty Irish-American ska(te)-punk, only as envisaged by the likes of Fugazi. The only 3+ minute track on the album, “Wool”, duly meanders through the more melodic corners of Shellac’s pained domain. The tense jangle and gritted howl of “Body Parts” comes on in turn like Slint, while the brutal-but-catchy “Justice” treads the same quiet-loud-quiet structures as the last Cloud Nothings LP.
Who wouldn’t be on board for a full-blown post-hardcore rock revival anyway? It’s either that or grunge next in any case and, right on cue, the glorious “TMI” throws Kurt’s Bleach-era broken-glass gargle into the ring with Big Black’s crunching bass and Anthrax’s trademark thrash. Further demonstrating the Brooklynites’ immaculate taste, all 1:25 of “Little Kid” is a face-breaking racket in the Black Flag mould.
On top of Big Ups’ overt and expected anti-establishmentarianism (sample lyric: “Everybody says it’s getting better but it’s bad, still bad”) there’s real intelligence here too. “Disposer” is about humanity’s waste culture and to say frontman Joe Galarraga is not happy about it is an understatement. All the same, having the composure to pull back before each of his bouts of total destruction shows a wise head on his shoulders. Some of the guitar work too is fresh despite the long-list of influences. “Fresh Meat”, for example, houses some awesome wind-up action against its ferociously nasty backdrop.
It almost goes without saying that Big Ups will totally slay on the live circuit. While you wait for them to come around, Eighteen Hours Of Static will do more than just keep you company – it’ll keep you salivating for one of the events of the year with each frequent spin.
Best tracks: “TMI” and “Fresh Meat”
~Eighteen Hours Of Static is out now on Tough Love.~