Black Ends Psychotic Spew LP
Vocalist Nicolle Swims must get this a lot, but she seriously sounds like Gwen Stegani pivoted to a career in swampy ballads and Seattle post-punk experimentation. Upon a first listen to Psychotic Spew, it’s clear BLACK ENDS has chemistry between members and a shared goal in mind. Quite frankly, it sounds really good, rehearsed, a perfect witchy brew of alternative girly rock. However, I cannot shake the utterly contrived feeling I get from this release. Maybe it’s from them making a self-proclaimed genre of “gunk-pop,” or the fact I cannot figure out how a small-ish band can headline its own EU tour in 2023 without a single album released. I am no Debbie Downer, though; they do deserve recognition for this debut album. Comprised of pleasantly discordant melodies and sultry lyricism, tracks like “Pour Me” and “She Speaks of Love” speak to the release’s off-kilter but inventive sound. Bassist Ben Swanson’s and drummer Billie Paine’s rhythmic spell over the songs never gets old, and I also appreciate cellist Lori Goldston’s addition of an instrument you don’t often hear in releases like these. With the satisfyingly clean guitar on “Suppin’ on Stage” and the fun sample near the end of “When I’m Alone,” I’ll forget the curious self-insistence and categorize this as a stellar premier of albums to come.