A bit of the old melty pop from VIOLENT CHANGE. Hassle last touched on this “bunch” in regard to the SUCK ON THE GUN EP from a couple years back. Right about now, on their latest record, the band sounds a bit different. But my enthusiasm for them has not waned since that EP. Matt Bleyle remains the main thrust of this San Francisco crew, but his collaborators have been switched up, as is the nature of this project. Here joined by Sterling Mackinnon the sounds are less raucous overall, but still engaging, and still prone to distraction (in the best way possible).
GUIDED BY VOICES vibes still imbue the proceedings, but now less directly; mostly in an, “in the spirit of” kind of way. The rough variety of scuzz pop vibe that we Bostonians have come to know as being produced by SMOKEY BEAR CAVE family members like FUME HOOD, ALEX MARANTZ, FUTURE DAYS, and LOS GREYS is what you will find as you listen to the second full length from VIOLENT CHANGE. It is called A CELEBRATION OF TASTE. And lo-fi pop songs flow, noise asides arrive, and then there are also the noise takeovers. A battle between pop and noise in which neither side wins, nor will ever win. In fact in this battle there is no winning, just a laying down of weaponry and learning to live together, shoulder to shoulder, arms open to possibility.
“Hairline-esque” jumps out at me, modestly clocking in @ 1:24. A lost bit of fuzzy psych-pop that burns brightly for but a moment and is then turned to ash. “Someone In This House” shows us more song than its predecessor. Deeply layered fuzz between us and VIOLENT CHANGE. If this is how it must be, I can deal. A song that loses its way before it ends. Roughly 22 minutes of twists and turns into the abyss. 13 songs excavated, and heavily damaged during transport, but still very interesting for those who study such things (and others), and potentially yielding secrets yet. Time will tell. VIOLENT CHANGE doing the experimental lo-fi pop crowd right. Again. Out on MELTERS.
