On their third album, London group Chmetrails sound more confident than ever. The quartet's music is tinged with flashes of psychedelia and punk still, but The Joy of Sects reveals a new vigor in their approach. This is spry stuff, rendered with enough flash to make it logical to say that this is the best, most exciting band on the venerable PNKSLM imprint.
"Bang Bang" struts in, all Danielle Dax grooves laced with a dash of Fuzzbox, while "Join Our Death Cult" is dystopian swing. Mia Lust and Laura Orlova find a hook and embellish it with insouciant vocals from Mia, and guitar spark from both. The excellently-titled "Business Class War Paint" pops with a New Wave sass, even as "Sychophant's Paradise" rocks for the horizon. The harmonies here give this juice, and things rev up to an elegant fervor.
The whole sci-fi pop of this lot continues to impress. There's nothing on The Joy of Sects that doesn't bring a grin. Smartly rendered, Chemtrails have sort of sharpened their weapons this time out. This is a record of expansive, wild indie, but the hooks are big, and melodies strong. A neat blend of Buzzcocks and The Fall, the riffs are laced with wit, and the entire presentation delightfully bright and big. Chemtrails are not only aiming for the stars, they're damn sure aiming to be the band that soundtracks a voyage to them.
The Joy of Sects by Chemtrails is out on PNKSLM.
[Photo: Der Fotoautomat]