Sometimes it is a simple mention in the PR’s email that makes a difference. Here, it was a reference to Jesus and Mary Chain, which pushed this album up to the top of the listening stack. This trio from Los Angeles is all new to me, and they waste no time on this album, serving up 9 songs in under 25 minutes. They can deftly utilise distortion and feedback into their sound as an added musical element. For the old zine readers, this would be a band you would have read about in Flipside, Hit List, and others, as well as RIP magazine in the mid to late 90’s. This band have made an immediate impression on me.
The title track roars to life with that JAMC influence apparent, but the band still have their own identity. The chorus here is simple but effective. Musically, the album has a very live feel. ‘Don’t Fit Anywhere’ might be my favourite song here, with the urgent tempo and sound reminding me a bit of Bratmobile crossed with an old school Misfits type chorus. There is a cool rhythm to ‘Radio Smash’ that feels a bit hypnotic.
The middle third of the album reminds me again of JAMC where the band use a catchy chorus and feedback to create a hook-filled rocker. Cathartic chaos might best describe the awesome ‘Self Destruct with Me.’ Lyrically, this one also jumps out of the speaker. It’s probably not recommended to fill a pool with gasoline, but it makes quite the image in my head when Spencer Robinson describes it. I hear some Gun Club influences in ‘Without My Pills.’ I really like the drum fills in the chorus by Shawn Medina and really his work across the whole album is spectacular.
The final third of the album kicks off with the rapid-fire beat of ’My Brain is Poison.’ The chorus is again simplistic but powerful. The band switch things up a little with the lighter and still catchy cover of ‘Give Me Power’ where it sounds like bassist Tina Brugnoletti’s backing vocals are more noticeable in the chorus. The band closes out the album with the insurgency of ‘Coyote.’ The trio feels completely in sync musically with some well-placed ‘ooohs’ deep in the mix.
Black Market Heart serve up a statement of musical intent here, emphasising their arrival with dark hooks, waves of feedback, and songs that do not waste time. This one rewards repeat plays as well, and, at 25 minutes or so, I recommend letting it spin several times each time you play it. I look forward to hearing what they do next.
Author: Gerald Stansbury
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