Praising a longtime band’s consistency can sometimes seem like an empty compliment. But for the Purkinje Shift, it’s an unavoidable reference to the thoroughness with which they attack songwriting. There’s no post-rock filler, and the tightly wound instrumental chaos is too dense for any vocals to filter through. For any artistic vision to survive over 20 years is a feat, but for guitarists Benjamin Davis and Gary T. Flom, it’s merely a framework for blistering riffs that choke pop hooks to death with poisonous ferocity. Their newest track “Loser Leaves Town” is no different, as the trio embrace ’80s post-hardcore rhythms that bounce and whine like shrapnel.
The impetus behind the title was provided by conceptual rock group Wednesday Night Titans, whose Reagan era wrestling imagery recalled the early mythology of pro wrestling. This included the idea that after losing a match, the defeated wrestler would have to pack up and leave. It seems like classic middle-American marketing hyperbole, but “Loser Leaves Town” is anything but digestible heartland rock and roll. As the lap steel groans through what the band term the “car alarm” outro, the listener is jolted back to reality and the looking glass shatters.
Listen below.
The Purkinke Shift’s new single “Pink Jackson” b/w “Loser Leaves Town” will be available tomorrow, June 5, via Chunklet Industries.
More Info
Bandcamp: thepurkinjeshift.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @thepurkinjeshift
Instagram: @thepurkinjeshift