As an outlet for their outrage over the Russian invasion of Ukraine and as a second taste of their forthcoming album, Verrueckt, Walls is a squalling and distorted slice of alternative music.
It combines the motorik sound of what in less enlightened corners we term Krautrock, that relentless, intense and driving backbeat that powered bands like Neu!, Can and Faust onwards to build a whole new European musical soundscape in the 70’s, with the raw sonics of grunge or the college rock onslaughts of bands like Pixies or Sonic Youth.
But, even though their musical roots are recognisable, the way they blend these two, perhaps contradictory forces, is the natural charm here. “Walls” is the grind and grating sound of those two tectonic forces meeting. It is the sound of an immovable object meeting an unstoppable force and then finding a way to exist in perfect sonic harmony with it.
That’s a really clever thing to be able to do and a compelling energy to be able to harness.
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Choppy single
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Verrueckt album
