Muscle Beach
Charms
LP
Muscle Beach has taken up the torch of
post-hardcore and used it to scorch everything in its path. After releasing its
fierce, critically-acclaimed self-titled debut at the end of 2015, the band
continued to hone its amalgamation of heavy, precise guitarwork, powerful
basslines, and meticulous, forceful drum beats over lovingly screamed vocals.
And after two-plus years of relentless gigging, touring, and writing, the band
is back with Charms, a badass
tour-de-force that builds on the already dynamic momentum of its last release.
The record commences with “Church Tongue,” a blast of unrelenting intensity
that clocks in just shy of two-and-a-half minutes and sounds like someone put
Motorhead and At the Drive-In on two competing stereos. “Hair Piss” likewise showcases
the group’s ability to condense brutal force and reckless abandon into a
distinct pulse of energy. And the song “Midnight Math,” a dancey number full of
hooks and verve that’s the pinnacle of the album, would be a top-10 radio hit
if there were any musical justice in the world. Anyone ambivalent about the
prospects of a sophomore slump can put those fears to rest, since Charms may just fucking bring it even
harder than the band’s self-titled record -- insomuch as that can even happen.
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