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For their final release, Shanghai, China’s self-described “spazz pop” trio, Hu Jia Hu Wei, deliver five powerful songs that perfectly blend dissonance with melody.
Comprised of Pairs‘ Xiao Zhong on guitar and vocals with the rhythm section of Chris and Tim, Hu Jia Hu Wei spent two years blending Minutemen syncopation with a Pixies penchant for pop, a no wave sense of noise and Gang of Four‘s sense of rhythm. On Coasting, they take those elements as far as they can with epic songwriting, four to seven-minute blasts of distorted guitars, rumbling beats and Xiao Zhong’s signature ranting. Marcel Primeau‘s excellent production allows the songs to explode the way they were meant to, as in the agonized, anthemic centerpiece, “I Won’t Be Here.” It all culminates in “Marsland,” the final no wave statement by a band whose existence was too short-lived where Killing Joke and Confusion Is Sex-era Sonic Youth collide in a Talking Heads conniption.
Ever get get into a band way too late and get bummed because you know you’ll never hear another release from them? Hu Jia Hu Wei are one of those bands. Thankfully, they have a back catalog to explore…
