Whoa.
London has certainly always been a hotbed for music, but judging from this split, there’s an underground punk scene going on that nods to ’90s noise rock while retaining a genuine spark of vitality.
You know that feeling when you hear a band for the first time and it’s everything you’ve been looking for without realizing it? That’s Skinny Girl Diet, or to put it more succinctly, HOLY CRAP I THINK I’VE FOUND MY FAVORITE NEW BAND!!! The opener, “DMT,” is like a female driven Hammerhead pounding out “Earth (I Won’t Miss).” It’s crashing, chaotic ecstasy with lo-fi Oblivians-style production and mysterious Kim Deal-esque monotone vocals. “Homesick” follows suit, a raging barn-burner that adds some Babes In Toyland and Fastbacks to the mix. It’s the same bit of genius displayed by Blue Jungle on their 2009 debut Baby Don’t Cry. Simply astounding.
On the opposite side, Ethical Debating Society match the standards set by their contemporaries. “Child’s Play” is sparse, jagged punk rock, a little Servotron and a touch of CRASS and related projects like Honey Bane. “Creosote Ideas” recalls Dirt in the male/female call-and-response vocals, though musically, it’s a pummeling frenzy of heaviness. Definitely a band to hear more from in the future.
Don’t mull over it, don’t consider it while making your morning toast, don’t think about it in the shower, just go out and buy this 7” because it’s so damn good. And then thank me.
