I'd not heard of this band until recently but I'm glad I checked out their stuff. The music of 1800 and Froze to Death is post-punk of the sort that was fairly common in the late Nineties, but which is a rare commodity these days. And given that this new record was mixed by J. Robbins (Jawbox, Office of Future Plans, Channels), this tune will likely appeal to lots of the folks who read this site.
"Old Painful" is punchy. I use that word a lot around here but it really fits these guys. Having broken up years earlier only to reform, these musicians seemed to have found a new vigor now that they're back together. "Old Faithful", the taste of upcoming album Thirds I'm sharing today, recalls early Superchunk and even Jawbox. The vocals are the right kind of yearning, and the rhythm section matches the intensity of those and the guitar hooks to keep this thing moving forward like a runaway train. Modulated but heavy, this one hits the sweet spots I used to find more regularly with American post-punk bands. As it is in 2024, this kind of forceful precison is rare.
Dig it now and then get Thirds on June 21. Details via Bandcamp.
[Photo: Alison Kepic]