New York City's Bush Tetras will forever be known for "Too Many Creeps", their seminal number. And while that song is a classic, the band have reformed and made music in recent decades that's as compelling. With the addition of drummer Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth) a couple of years ago, the group have burnished their sound further. New album They Live in My Head is here now.
Opener "Bird on a Wire" is a noisy bit of business, while the deconstructed blues of "Things I Put Together" punches hard thanks to the vocals of Cynthia Sley. Elsewhere, "2020 Vision" grinds forward, a reminder of a style that was the force behind the No New York scene, and one which lingers still in their souls, clearly. "So Strange" and "Another Room" favor clipped, crunchy riffs, even as the title cut here is more lyrical and expansive.
They Live in My Head is an invigorating listen, one which re-affirms the strengths of this American post-punk outfit's credentials. The addition of Steve Shelley connects the sound of Sonic Youth's best years with that of a band which undoubtedly influenced Moore and Gordon and crew. Resolutely uncompromising, the music here churns with force while offering nuance in spots. It's loud and full of fire, and it's the sort of thing that makes a listener feel like maybe they should be listening to more Bush Tetras, and not just that one famous track from them.
They Live in My Head by Bush Tetras is out now via Wharf Cat Records.
[Photo: Steve Godlis]