ALBUM: Gen and the Degenerates – ‘Anti-Fun Propaganda’

“I don’t want to shy away from the darkness of being a human. But… I don’t want to be fully consumed by it and forget to have fun, be silly…”

Following their raucous 2022 extended play, Only Alive When In Motion, Liverpudlian alt-punk quintet Gen and the Degenerates – featuring singer Genevieve Glynn-Reeves, guitarists Sean Healand Sloan and Jacob Jones, bassist Jay Humphreys, and drummer Evan Reeves – have released their highly anticipated debut record, Anti-Fun Propaganda, via Marshall Records. Recorded and produced by Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, Amyl and the Sniffers, Drenge, Gang of Four), the album is a coming-of-age story set at the dawn of the end of the world, comprised of political pop proclamations, queer rock ruminations, and frenetic “fuck the fuck off” attitude.

Opening with the statement: “the truth is, the world is ending,” Gen’s tongue-in-cheek but no less bleak observation sets the mood over pulsating synth and an infectious bassline with ‘Kids Wanna Dance’. Our future is becoming increasingly unpredictable – with volatile politics, economic disruption, and environmental degradation – so why should Gen-Y/Z care? Let the kids dance in their inherited dystopia… We’re desensitized! “The truth is I’m no nihilist / There’s a part of me hoping that we can fix all of this but it’s not looking optimistic is it?”

Featuring Glaswegian punk quartet Uninvited, the feisty ‘Girls!’ takes inspiration from a TikTok trend (Don’t you hate it when girls… no, actually I love it when girls, etc) and transforms societal straight male misogyny into anthemic queer love catharsis. “I love it when they make their own damn money / I’ll be your little bit of sugar, let me call you mummy.” “Uninvited got involved after I tweeted ‘I love it when girls…’ and they replied, ‘Same,’ Gen explains. “I sent them the demo, and they loved it, so I asked them to be on it. It is a product of internet culture,”

Speaking of internet culture, Gen’s sardonic wit on ‘That’s Enough Internet For Today’ is for the always-online dickheads doom-scrolling social media, and sharing hyperbole for likes. “Oh my god, congratulations, you’ve won liberal of the day / You’ve come up with the world’s most progressive take / …and don’t you laugh! / I’m not even started with you / It’s not a fucking party trick to have right-wing views!” For the title track, the Degenerates are no less cynical, ridiculing corporations for making life so fucking boring, rejecting their ‘Anti-Fun Propaganda’ with scuzzy guitar riffs, syncopated basslines, and rumbling beats, inspired by the off-kilter punk energy of Braniac and Parquet Courts.

Following the fuzzed-out grunge of ‘All Figured Out’, Gen takes a moment to breathe, strumming lo-fi acoustic melodies for interlude ‘Plan B’, before the Degenerates return to their genre-bending, escapism-fuelled feedback for satirical, lyrical ‘Famous’ (“First kiss in public they’ll say it was staged / Too perfect not to be a PR move”) and ‘BIG HIT SINGLE’ – a rebellious response to Marshall Records. After Only Alive When In Motion’s ‘Girl God Gun’ became a hit single, the record label requested another tune of similar ilk. Not afraid to demonstrate their pop-sensibility, the Degenerates did just that, with spoken word sass! “If a tree falls in the forest / And no one plays it on the radio / Does it make a sound?” jests Gen. “It’s me winding up our label. Luckily, they have a good sense of humour over at Marshall.”

Taking inspiration from the obtuse, artsy sounds of post-punk-as-fuck NYC, ‘Post-Cool’ is an infectious combination of LCD Soundsystem-esque synth and Sonic Youth distortion. “Started a cult by accident / It was pretty far out / Until a crowd of 18,000 turned up to my house.” Cool is dead! Closing with a emotional tribute to Gen’s late aunt, ‘Jude’s Song’ reflects on mortality, ending with the comforting final lyric: “I don’t really know what happens when we die / But I’m glad that for a while we were alive at the same time.” For Gen and the Degenerates, Anti-Fun Propaganda is their way of making sense of the world; a darkly humorous, yet poignant commentary on the frustrating future of a space rock in disarray.

Follow Gen and the Degenerates on Spotify, X, Facebook, Instagram & TikTok

Photo Credit: Liam Maxwell7

Ken Wynne
@Ken_Wynne

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ALBUM: Hot Milk – ‘A Call To The Void’

The fragility of existence is nowhere more apparent than “l’appel du vide” – A Call To The Void – the brain’s impulse to throw yourself into the darkness. For Hot Milk, particularly co-vocalist/guitarist Han Mee, the pressure to deliver their debut record left them feeling incredibly lost. From extended plays Are you Feeling Alive? (2019) to I Just Wanna Know What Happens When I’m Dead (2021), to The King and Queen of Gasoline (2022), the Mancunians could always rely on their do-it-yourself ethos and work ethic, but now… nothing. Just anxiety, doubt, desperation and overwhelming sadness…

Fuck it! Hot Milk just needed to be their authentic and unapologetic selves – even in their darkest headspace – and so they embraced the void. Do or Die! “Am I the darkness?” Mee sings during the synth-heavy introduction to their debut; eleven tracks written from the heart, welcoming you to their ‘Horror Show’. From the moment their industrial lead single rumbles obnoxious feedback (“Am I a human earthquake?”), to its infectious “fuck you” chorus, the tone has been set for the rest of the record; anthemic mosh-inducing catharsis.

Flirting with synth-pop, ‘Bloodstream’ flows with emotion; an ode to unhealthy adoration, injected with the dynamic dual storytelling of Mee and co-vocalist/guitarist Jim Shaw: “Now you’re living in my bloodstream!” Ladies and gentlemen, ‘Party On My Deathbed’ is cold-blooded, pre-meditated murder on the dancefloor; an electric fusion of dirty guitar riffs, and even dirtier screams. And none of Hot Milk’s trademark wit is lost on ‘Alice Cooper’s Pool House’, featuring the shock rock legend himself!

Following the overwhelming catchiness of ‘Zoned Out’, the duo stage-dive headfirst into the abyss with thunderous basslines and theatrical anger on ‘Over Your Dead Body’: “Unholy, you’re problematic / All this shit, so operatic / I know, this might be overdramatic / But I think that I’ve had it / So it’s time to go manic!” ‘Migraine’ is another standout track, exploring various soundscapes, and showcasing Hot Milk’s genre-defying sound as it ebbs and flows like a Bring Me the Horizon headache.

If any track defines A Call to the Void, it’s ‘Breathing Underwater’; an emotional heart breaker embodying Mee’s darkness. “We needed to write this song as a cry to the outside world”; an introspection of the suffocating anxiety and depression below the surface. Julian Comeau of Loveless introduces a new voice to the dynamic duo for ‘Amphetamine’, whilst crushing closer, ‘Forget Me Not’ – the last song written for the record – explores life’s fragility through synth-driven melodies: “So into the void I go / I surrender to all my beliefs / Where you go I can’t follow / Got to let you rest in peace.”

By staying unapologetically true to themselves, thriving in the musical chaos they have created, Hot Milk have delivered a debut that excels in abnormality. Genre is a lie. This is not a pop-punk/alt- pop/emo record. It’s a fucking Hot Milk record!

Ken Wynne
@Ken_Wynne

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ALBUM: Weekend Recovery – ‘Esoteric’

A welcome follow-up to their riotous recent singles, Weekend Recovery’s latest third album Esoteric builds on the distinct sound the band has built for themselves.

The album leaps into action with ‘Chemtrails’, the wildly catchy refutation to misinformation that dropped late last year. It keeps the energy high for the next few tracks, solidifying the unique flavour of this band. Continuing the fierce attitude of ‘Chemtrails’, ‘Dangerous’ blasts into the ears with its fast drums and throbbing bass, juxtaposed with its subtle lyrics that are gifted a profound sense of social commentary by the sirens remixed into the background.

Third track, ‘In The Crowd’, features the album’s first guest appearance. Joel Arthur’s (Hydeout) vocals on this and also ‘No Saint’ later on offer a rich deep contrast to those offered by Weekend Recovery’s vocalist Lori. The way the two voices play off each make for a striking mirror and adds depth to the songs on which he appears – his softer bass rumble platforming Lori’s rich tones in a way that heightens the attitude in them.

Lori’s vocals in every song are imbued with a sardonic, sarcastic weight. It’s particularly evident in ‘I Don’t Like You Anyway’, which has fantastic amounts of sass and is pitched perfectly. Every jab she makes feels like you’re siding with her against the world, never the target of her derision.

The title track comes at the midpoint of the album. ‘Esoteric’ is wonderfully chosen to demonstrate how skilled this band can be. The heavy bass line and quick drums set the stage for the vocals and fuzzy guitars to scream, aching with feeling and capturing the essence of what makes Weekend Recovery unique.

The album mellows out as it goes on, flexing the band’s versatility and offering a counter to the rough attitude you’ve come to expect. The gentle tracks are no less powerful or memorable than the ones that roar, however; ‘Her’ being a stand out. The dips in pace launch into new emotional heights, using the layers of music to carry you along with its mood, before leaping back into the familiar Weekend Recovery punch of ‘No Guts All The Glory’.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=-v_6rwaxkjM

The arrangement takes you on a finely crafted emotional journey. The soft vulnerable songs feel like they’re exposing a hidden truth beneath the upbeat angry ones, hinting at a soft reaction to the same infuriating subject matters. Each song is a joy to experience on its own, but the relationship between the tracks carries a lot of power. The movement between songs tells its own story, whilst the construction of the album as a whole shows off how much thought and effort Weekend Recovery have put into constructing their music. 

Esoteric is out now via Criminal Records. Catch Weekend Recovery live at Tramlines Festival in Sheffied on 23rd July.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

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ALBUM: Perennial – ‘In The Midnight Hour’

Connecticut art punks Perennial capture the spirit of post-hardcore with their ambitious sophomore LP In The Midnight Hour; an infectious, relentlessly noisy record, oozing ever-perennial punk energy and inspired by the eclectic sounds of their cultural New England surroundings. From watching post-hardcore arts-college/rec-centre gigs, like Q And Not U and The Blood Brothers, to indie record store discoveries like Nick Cave, Perennial absorbed and integrated an assortment of ideas, exploring and expanding their sound to deliver an unpredictable, complex punk album.

Following their debut EP Early Sounds for Night Owls (2015), their debut LP The Symmetry of Autumn Leaves (2017) and EP Food for Hornets (2019), multi-instrumentalists Chad Jewett, Chelsey Hahn and drummer Wil Mulhern – with encouragement from The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die’s Chris Teti – began deconstructing hardcore punk; maintaining their intensity, but emphasising a greater degree of creative expression. Opening with ‘The Skeleton Dance’, Perennial are loud enough to wake the dead, conjuring a whiplash-inducing combination of electronic instrumentation before diving headfirst into hardcore dance-punk anthem ‘In The Midnight Hour’, a worthy title track where the kinetic guitar riffs bite as hard as Hahn and Jewett’s haunting lyrics.

The angular art-punk attack continues with rambunctious groove on ‘Soliloquy For Neil Perry’, leading into the propulsive slam-punk-poetry of ‘Lauren Bacall In Blue’, an infectious, unapologetic track as alluring as its namesake. ‘Food For Hornets’ allows for further experimentation, with Hahn and Jewett trading screaming vocals over scuzzy post-hardcore guitar-hooks and aberrant effects. As Hahn chants “cut up the pattern, yeah,” the band do just that, descending into rumbling idiosyncratic melody.

Catch your breath during ‘Hey Eurydice’ because you won’t get another chance for the remainder of In The Midnight Hour. Conjuring the spirit of poet T. S. Eliot with abrasive, crushing rhythm and punishing percussion, ‘Tooth Plus Claw’ ends with a bang but not a whimper, whilst ‘Melody For A New Cornet’ follows with an equally aggressive performance from the atypical noise-rock trio, pounding basslines leading to the propulsive rhythm of ‘Hour Of The Wolf’. Narratively, ‘Perennial In A Haunted House’ is the ghostly quiet, long after the midnight hour has concluded, the haunted house of our own making. But musically, Perennial’s scrappy lead single couldn’t be louder! ‘I Am The Whooping Crane’ follows with an experimental blend of jazz-infused punk groove, poetic storytelling, and Motown flirtation (during its final seconds) before ‘Absolver’ closes the album with sonic ferocity.

12 songs, 22 minutes of erratic art punk for the nocturnal! Perennial’s unpredictable sophomore LP – “a punk album that doesn’t operate like a punk album” – rewards repeated spins, each track layered with enough weirdo punk energy and reckless abandon to keep the needle dropped.

 

Follow Perennial on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Omari Spears

Ken Wynne
@Ken_Wynne

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