The Hunches Same New Thing LP
Well, here’s another wrong made right: part three in Almost Ready’s vault plundering of the late and oh-so-great HUNCHES. Same New Thing dusts off a recording session that predates their infamous debut—serving as a demo then, but offering a really cool glimpse into their (pretty stunning) process now, seventeen years (!) later. Anyone familiar with their debut album will recall the noise that coats each tune, but Same New Thing casts so many of those heart-wrenching moments as leaner and sometimes meaner than the more widely-heard versions. Formative takes on tunes like “Lisa Told Me” and “Explosion” really drive home just how smartly and furiously the HUNCHES crafted their songs. Tunes as fuckin’ great as those would sound good underwater, yes, but they’re magic here all the same. Related, there are serious kicks to be heard with their collective fandom shining through here: copious Cle-punk and Dee-Troit channeling, broken blues and glass-smash punky damage, firing all at once. No fuckin’ wonder I was so smitten with them. Still am, it seems. One of the few true 21st century killers. Highly recommended!