Uniform Operator Kinds of Light cassette
Desperate music for long, late drives to nowhere. All kinds of driving, mid-paced melodic ’90s references are floating into my head as I listen to this Buffalo band—DRIVE LIKE JEHU, In on the Kill Taker, simplified Mascis leads, even a sprinkling of the JESUS LIZARD—but where this band transcends mediocrity or nostalgia is in the abundance of hooks, impeccable songwriting where every instrument makes its mark, and shapeshifting, anguished vocals. The test of any good mid-paced band is where they can keep (or improve on) everything that makes them good when slowing things down, and they succeed on “Split Self.” Though for all my praise, the sexual lyrics to “The Red & the Black” are kinda gross.