Spectreview: SDWLK – UUUNNNGGGHHH

-GREEN-

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Home recording technologies have evolved so dramatically in the last 40 years that in the right genre it’s possible to write and produce a track on par, if at least close enough, to the output of big name studios. So when you stumble across music that sounds as lo-fi as Seattle noise-punk duo SLDWK’s, you know it’s intentional. They’re just one example of the return to 80’s tape-demo sonics and no-wave tributes we’ve seen across the last few years, exercises in feedback and abrasion that are designed to irritate and alienate. That’s punk for you, though. SDWLK is particularly impish in their pursuits, from their endearingly haphazard MS Paint cover art right down to a demo (EP? Full-length?) purportedly recorded by the guitarist’s cat, but get past the feedback, an almost complete lack of low-end and some wildly-shifting tempos (you can almost imagine how unflinchingly thick the master waveform is) and you’ll find a surprisingly solid, creative punk record. UUUNNNGGGHHH seems to be their first release with a real drum set instead of a machine, and while it honestly doesn’t do much for the two-dimensional sound it’s a crucial step in the right direction; the band sounds more like two people in a garage than ever, instead of one person in a bedroom. The classic punk tropes are also here, when the lyrics are ever intelligible: the anti-police screed (“COP”), the kiss-offs to brainless masculinity (“BRUH MOMENT”) and pigs in suits (“CIGAR MAN”), eternally youthful wrath that’s less righteous than wayward and angst-ridden. It’s the kind of music that only comes from the teenage experience, an unfiltered, flash-in-the-pan sound that builds its power from pure carefree energy and a desperation to be edgy and reject the norm. UUUNNNGGGHHH, like their previous works, is certainly not for everyone, but those who live out in left field and are looking for a different take on punk will likely appreciate what this band is doing.

Recommended for reliving the night you skipped prom.