Vile Bees - Joy Coughs

Formed in 2015 from the ashes of Like Like The The The Death (named after a Silver Jews song) the band have a few releases to their name including 2018's debut EP Come Here Young Man and 2021's debut full-length Dark Age Dad. Joy Cough Vile Cough's latest album is a personal work, whose themes according to Michael Marchant relate to “intergenerational trauma, loss, and empathy” and “witnessing parental drug and alcohol addiction through the eyes of a child”. I'm hopeful that the record which is being released by Seismic Wave Entertainment lives up to the label's tagline of hitting you like a seismic wave.

'Anime Bodies' announces the band's intent from the off with shimmering Post-Punk Guitars in the vein of The Comsat Angels albeit with a little Emo Pop sensibility ala The Get Up Kids, back when it wasn't embarrassing to be tagged with the latter genre. There's a bounce to the music that make the whole thing positively infectious. A great start. 'Eyes Meet at the Liquor Store' takes a Bluesier tone, recalling the sound The Dicks adopted on sophomore release These People as well as the Vocals of their late, great leader Gary Floyd, RIP. A killer number no doubt. Another Vocal reference point would be fIREHOSE's Ed Crawford and this is particularly evident on 'Hot Probs', in fact that band's blend of Funk and Free Jazz can also be discerned affording for a truly majestic piece. As to be expected from a track calling itself 'Marky Moon', there's a Television influence present (Marquee Moon, geddit?), that band's Art-Punk Proggy tendencies clearly shining through; though a good portion of the track is also subdued and introspective sounding. The shifting dynamics on offer are testament to the band's musical talents.

'Mascot Carries Own Head' recalls a curious blend of jangly R.E.M. College Rock and quirky Fatso Jetson Stoner Blues jams, even these comparisons feel inadequate as a way of describing the sonic goodness on display here. 'Swirl the Numbers' has a Dinosaur Jr vibe and one can easily hear the Grungy slacker spirit of J Mascis and co. You're Living All Over Me era especially, while 'No Blues' certainly nods to Sonic Youth and Live Skull with an abrasively No Wave sound, and since when has this been a bad thing? 'Salt Lick City' is great fun, bearing similarities to the Power-Pop/Garage-Punk goodness of Redd Kross/Urge Overkill and 'Fire to a Kid' contains a little Slint style Post-Rock as well as the twisted experimental Surf of Man or Astro-man? making it one of my favourite numbers. 'Relaxo' is a slab of superbly crafted angular 90's Post-Hardcore ala Unwound while the shortest track on the album at just over a minute and a half is 'Shapes' , possibly the fastest Vile Bees song on the record offering up some U-Men Garage-Rock. 'Use Yr Allusion', a play on the dreadful Guns 'N' Roses album of the same name, reminds the listener of Minneapolis legends The Replacements and their ramshackle Johnny Thunders Rock 'n' Roll inspiration particularly. As a huge fan of that band I was particularly pleased that this track marked the album's conclusion.

Vile Bees spent a good four years getting this album together and it thankfully was time well spent. As such it should definitely be in your playlist.