Blood on the Wall: Liferz
The Social Registry
2008
Rating:


The Brooklyn-by-way-of-Kansas trio Blood on the Wall was weaned on the punk, noise pop and lo-fi of the 1970s, '80s and '90s, and it shows. As on their previous albums, 2003's self-titled LP and 2005's "Awesomer," Blood on the Wall sounds possessed by the spirits of Sonic Youth, The Pixies and Pavement on "Liferz." Bassist and vocalist Courtney Skanks even sounds like Kim Gordon and her younger brother Brad, who rips on the guitar and shares vocal duties, sounds like Stephen Malkmus. With the help of drummer Miggy Littleton, songs like the title track, "Hibernation," "Turn Around and Shut Up" and "Acid Fight" have a brute force worthy of their influences. Unlike fellow lo-fi revivalists Times New Viking, Blood on the Wall never sounds like more than an act of excellent mimicry: "Lightning Song" is a Sonic Youth dirge, "Junkeee... Jubileee..." borrows the guitar hook from The Sex Pistols' "God Save the Queen" and the addictive "Sorry Sorry Sarah" sounds like it's about a summer babe (or at least her winter version). "Liferz" has the sound of a classic punk album, but that's because it sounds so much like so many classic punk albums.

Posted Sunday, January 27, 2008

Link to this review:
http://filmzeus.pressbin.com/music/blood.on.the.wall/liferz