WBCR Loves You

Been reviewing so much lately, lot of great stuff but after 2 days straight listening to music it can all blend into one. However, one new release that has really stuck with me is the band Male Bonding and their album Nothing Hurts. This album is so good, I want to play it for everyone. 

The band is a British three-piece and their debut album was released by Sub-Pop, which is pretty appropriate because it has a very fuzzed-out shoegazey nineties sound. It seems there has been a real return in the last two years for a lot of bands to return to sounds like shoegaze, sixties wall of sound and lo-fi (i.e. Vivian Girls, Wavves, Pens). While that sound can grow old fast there’s something undeniably likeable about Male Bonding. 

Their songs are essentially straight ahead punk songs with the longest song clocking in at 2:45 with wham-bam-thank you ma’am drums and breakneck guitars that make you feel like you’re careening at a 100 miles an hour. The vocals are often half lost behind the guitars, feedback and lo-fi production but it works. The thing about their music is the message is in the medium. All the effects, the loud instrumentation half-masked lyrics create more of an emotion or feeling than a direct message or story. I guess the feeling they give off depends on the listener but for me it makes me feel happy but with underlying tones of nostalgia ( a lot like summer actually).  Its a shambolic mess, but a really lovely one.

Anyways, great album, great band, def going to play the crap out of it this summer.