I'm a big fan of Swedish label PNKSLM and have been for years. But even in my fandom I have to admit that the furious rawk of ShitKid seems a level removed from the imprint's usual brand of chaos. Åsa Söderqvist and Lina Molarin Ericsson recorded these new tracks with members of The Melvins and Paul Leary of Butthole Surfers and the resulting release, Duo Limbo/"Mellan himmel å helvete", seems the loudest thing I've heard so far on PNKSLM.
If "Eagles Over America", rendered here in two versions, one English and one Swedish, feels familiar, and reminiscent of tracks from The Donnas and Veruca Salt, the more supple "Feels Like the Movies" bears a faint whiff of The Breeders about it. Asa and Lina channel the right set of influences here, and the cuts nearly burst with energy. "Anger MGMT" is more of a slow-burner, but it's full of the same sort of tension that erupts in other cuts, only it's coiled here.
Duo Limbo/"Mellan himmel å helvete" is essentially two sets of the same songs sung in different languages, and ShitKid imbue each set with a really infectious brand of enthusiasm. The tunes are all loaded with fuzzy guitars, and if the songs all make an older listener recall the glory days of alternative rock from the Clinton years, it's all the better. The music of ShitKid remains an un-ironic embrace of riffage and big hooks. I dig that!
Duo Limbo/"Mellan himmel å helvete" is out now on PNKSLM.
More details on ShitKid via the band's official Facebook page.
[Photo: Milkdrop Studio]