While lots of what's on PNKSLM has pushed the envelope of what indie-pop is capable of being, the new album from duo Ghlow offers up almost a deconstruction of the form. Slash and Burn features tunes that are deceptively simple but ones which burn with a fierce fire. This stuff owes as much to the first wave of post-punk in the late Seventies as it does to anything else on this label now.
"Not Fit for This" and "Mess with Me" mix faintly hardcore riffs up with the kind of precise rhythmic attack a band like Can would have favored for an effect that's heavy, heavy, heavy. Elsewhere, the slower "Sleep" reminds me a tiny bit of the sort of thing that Loop and Main flirted with, only with more accessible vocals. These down-tempo numbers are surprisingly effective, even if Ghlow seem at their best on the punchier ones. There's not a lot of real stylistic variety here, but the overall force of Slash and Burn is such that the record's recommended, especially for those of you who are fans of this label and anxious to see what surprises new signings are capable of producing.
More details on Ghlow via the official Facebook page.
[Photo: PNKSLM]