Stucco Thieves

Album review

The Sediment Club's third full-length is a typically bracing set of unhinged, abstract punk influenced by the no wave scene. The trio delivers a series of wiry, adrenaline-spiked bursts that are never constrained by conventional song structures but don't feel like formless blobs of sound. This is music that thrives on panic, expressing confusion and dissatisfaction through tense, abrasive noise created by amped-up bass and guitar, pummeling drums, and strained screaming. The guitars often sound like they're being maimed, but there's a clear sense of direction to the group's attack, and the band expertly navigates through tempo changes and dynamic shifts without losing its raw energy. A few slower, softer moments during songs like "Colbalt Ruin" and "Shadow, Soon" seem slightly alienating, but they fit in with the album's sense of uneasiness and discomfort. "Hydraulic Saint" opens with the sound of a car crash, perfectly kicking off the song's wiry, frenetic rhythm that evokes the feeling of being chased, yet in an oddly playful way. The album wraps up in just 20 minutes, but it feels like the group has gotten its point across rather than run out of ideas too soon.
© Paul Simpson /TiVo