03 November 2020

FRAU


I didn't miss the boat on FRAU, I knew they were fire. But I didn't really dissect this tape until this year and it just reinforced how right Punk was to go batshit over the London quartet when they appeared. Smart, sharp modern punk with a guitar that stutters and spurts, reminding me of early Rough Trade and/or EASY CURE. The way it distorts to a breaking point during "Sherman's Gone," the way "Hostile" opens with the bass and guitar exchanging words, the way "Accused" just churns and churns until it....stops. The entire recording sounds like a struggle in the best way, as if they are trying to force their limbs to do what their minds want. The vocal intensity of "Nada" doing battle with chaotic guitars is the perfect closer...it's just an extremely sharp and demanding tape.....sometimes when Punk goes batshit, we would all be well served to take a look at what we might have missed.

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