You can say that I’m totally high and I’m listening to a completely different band than what’s actually playing on this record. I’m fine with that. Brain F≠ (pronounced “Brain Flannel” (no idea how the “not equal to” sign becomes “lannel”)) come across as a bunch of hardcore folks who channel the following: Sweet JAP, The Saints, The Detroit Cobras, and Taschen. They embrace the stomp and go, barking and wailing, “If you fall off the back, it’s your own damn problem” pacing of Sweet JAP. They bury the sweet and mysterious hookiness of the Saints (albeit completely aggravated and breathless, like the most frenetic tinfoil-in-caves-vertigo moments of (I’m) Stranded). The lady from the Detroit Cobras has a fuckin’ awesome voice, but she’s adamant that the Detroit Cobras are definitely not a punk band. Elise Anderson has an awesome voice and this is unabashedly a punk band. To tie it all up, there’s art at work here that I don’t fully understand, but I don’t think they’re mocking their audience and the graphics look nice, so that’s cool. I rarely make comments about mastering and levels and whatnot because I don’t know dick about that stuff—but this record’s amazing in the fact that the two vocalists are nice and clear in the mix among the buzzing ricochets of blasting instruments. I’m sure they’re murder on live PAs. Exciting.
–todd (Grave Mistake, gravemistakerecords.com / Sorry State, [email protected])