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What’s up Sorry Staters?
It’s still unseasonably warm around here. What the fuck? The aftermath of Koro pre-orders has kept us busy over at Sorry State HQ. Also, I don’t know if you readers saw our little announcement the other day, but Scarecrow’s 2nd EP Crisis is back in print and now Sorry State has copies in stock! Speaking of which, as I’m writing this, Scarecrow is playing a gig later on tonight with Future Terror and new local band Rovagug. I don’t feel as if I’ll be able to eloquently piece together any other details about my personal life, so here’s some of my usual record blabbing:
So, I will admit, this new Sick Thoughts record came out and I really didn’t pay it any mind. I had several friends pick up Heaven Is No Fun here at the shop, and I guess I just kinda avoided checking it out. One buddy was like, “Dude… Jeff, you should really listen to it.” I FINALLY I got around to it… and goddammit, not only is it good, but it’s reeeeeally good. I love it. Honestly, some of Sick Thoughts’ earlier records I didn’t really care for too much. I lumped them in with a lot of “lo-fi garage punk” that is usually pretty hit or miss for me. And I don’t know if the greasy cover photo of Drew with his hair grown out, his shirt’s top few buttons undone and chest hair exposed is any indication, but I think his style’s evolved.
I don’t know if “produced” is the right word, but this record impressed me because it feels like the band put in a lot of effort from a songwriting and production standpoint. It’s a badass rock’n’roll record. Like homeboy is still snarling, but in-key with lush background vocals. There’s absolutely killer guitar stuff on here. While at its core, this record could still fit in the Goner Records camp, it also feels like there’s some heavy glam influence. Like there’s an injection of Marc Bolan swagger and Mick Ronson-esque guitar flourishes. That said, this still feels like a punk record. I can hear the best moments of the Carbonas. A pinch of Jay Reatard quirkiness. And then lyrically, humor is the predominant force, along with a dash of sneering attitude. “Mother, I love Satan.” “We hit the desert middle of the day, devil on my shoulder leading the way.” And honestly, the high-pitched call and response “yeah yeahs” on the opening track “I Hate You” totally reminds me of the catchiest songs on the first GG Allin record. Hate GG or not, that first record is basically just a power pop record. Then a song like “Someone I Can Talk To” is like the one moment of vulnerability on the record and almost lands in love song territory. There are fucking organ solos. I’m here for it. The record is snappy, doesn’t overstay its welcome. Every song is good. There’s ups and downs, but the songs always feel energetic and fun. It feels like a real album. A killer record front to back. I feel like I need to bust out a paisley button up, throw on some aviator sunglasses, grab a fifth of Jack Daniels, and hit the road while blasting this ripper.
I almost didn’t get a copy of this record for myself. I thought it was sold out, but I think might’ve snagged our last copy. Is it out of print from Total Punk already? If so, maybe it’ll get a repress before too long. It would definitely be worth it. This is probably retro-actively in my best of 2022 now.
Anyway, that’s all I’ve got this week. As always, thanks for reading.
‘Til next week,
-Jeff