So I’m vacillating, y’all. Is this a fun and catchy little rocker or is that chorus just too clunky to bear? I really can’t decide. Everything leading up to this point—the barbed “Watch Your Back” and the seething “Make It Right” —sounded so venomous and prickly and this comes off as so, I don’t know … stylized? Drama and play-acting aren’t always bad thing, but if everything doesn’t fall precisely into character, it can come off as facile and tedious. I’m not saying that’s what’s happening here, but that chorus is definitely suspect.
Overall, though, I like the vibe. ‘60s biker gang. Switchblades and leather. The song has that trademark Coathangers garage-punk swagger and sneer, but for the first time, you can really feel the influence of Julia Kugel’s move to Southern California. It’s more raunchy than raucous, more vamped up and glam than stripped-back and raw. I have a feeling this is going to be the record where the trio try to spread their wings and evolve in different directions and that may take some getting used to. In the meantime, I’m going to keep road testing this one; let’s see if it gets better with age.
“Nosebleed Weekend” is the second single and title track from the trio’s upcoming LP, out Apr. 15 via Suicide Squeeze Records. Pre-orders are available now.
The Coathangers will celebrate the release of Nosebleed Weekend on Fri., Apr. 15 at Star Bar. Supporting them will be Paint Fumes, Bad Spell, and Paralyzer. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $15.
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