The Sueves Tears of Joy LP
This record could have been made in any of the last four or five decades. While sounding fresh and new, they remind me of TELEVISION—smart, groovy, mid-tempo garage punk. Some tracks like “Alexxa” and “Find the Right Fit” have a wilder, unhinged edge, like MR. CLIT AND THE PINK CIGARETTES. One track can be tight and moody, and the next could sound like it’s shaking in all directions like a low-rent carnival’s janky Tilt-a-Whirl ride. Over the course of the whole album, you get a satisfying synthesis of styles and eras with a throbbing vein of straightforward rock’n’roll at its core. Other standout tracks are “Mop Bucket” and “These Pines.” Listening to them and closing my eyes, head swaying back and forth, I hear echoes of STOOGES and sometimes BLACK CROWES. This album would be a good soundtrack to a long road trip.