Too Cool to Care
Something has become clear in punk lately. With the increase in lo-fi production and shoegaze aesthetic, it’s starting to seem like the punkest thing you can do is be completely and totally bored out of your entire mind. This sort of atonal whining certainly isn’t new, but if you take a look at the barrage of post punk records released this year, it does seem to be a startlingly prevalent characteristic in most of them. Sure, it could be argued that punk is about not caring about the world around you…but isn’t it supposed to also be about fun? The world around you is boring so you’re going to act up and make some excitement to make up for it. But this is post punk, these bands are over punk and have moved on to a new genre all their own, which apparently means stripping away the fun and energy that came along with it.
The most recent offering in this trend comes from Seattle based trio Wimps and their new record, out on the legendary Kill Rock Stars label, Suitcase. It’s not a bad record, the songs are catchy for the most part and the musicians certainly know how to play their instruments and create the right atmosphere for their music, but it sounds a whole lot like every other post punk record to come out in the last few years and will suck the energy out of a room just as quickly.
Fittingly, Suitcase opens with a song about sucking the life out of someone, with the danceable “Vampire.” If a bands sounds like they’re bored making the music, annoyed to have to muster up the energy to record an album, what exactly are listeners supposed to feel? But jaded is a hip sound these days, and everyone wants to prove how jaded they are – heck, the band even seems to address that with the song “Old Guy.” The album is steeped with irony, which is no surprise considering their drummer is from long time post punk favorites The Intelligence, whose last record, Vintage Future, was one of the most on the nose records to come out in a long time. There are some moments of energy and fun like on “Take it as it Comes” and “Modern Communication,” which even hints at the 80s new wave stye that inspired the post punk genre to begin with, but by the time the closing track “Basement” arrives, it’s back to boring old business as usual. If that’s the kind of punk you’re looking for, then Suitcase is the album for you, and a pretty solid one at that, but there must be something more to punk these days…right?
Seriously guys, since when did being the most unhappy person in the room become so cool?
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