Melbourne’s Deaf Wish makes no attempt to disguise their roots. For their fourth album, Pain, Deaf Wish let their songs be possessed by the sound of mid-1980’s American indie rock icons such as Sonic Youth and The Replacements, eliciting at first discomfort, then confusion, and finally curiosity. Pain first reads like a compilation album where several bands get together to pay tribute to their late 20th century American college radio heroes, then you discover that it is one band that has three singers and everyone has their own sound. Sometimes post-hardcore or more like a Replacements kind of rough melodic punk, and other times, they sound like a reincarnated Sonic Youth, even playing both Kim’s and Thurston’s vocal parts to an eerie similarity. Cultural experimentation? Sound searching? Plain appropriation? You be the judge.

RIYL: Sonic Youth, Hüsker Dü, Dinosaur Jr., Meat Puppets, and The Replacements.

FCC WARNING: 5
Recommended Tracks: 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8

1. (3:46) The Whip – Repetitive one chord guitar strumming and some uncommitted vocals. Kind of NY no wave approach. Loud ending.
2. (1:12) *Newness Again – Fast tempo punker – 1980’s American hardcore punk style.
3. (1:26) They Know – Another upbeat rocker tune – part glam rock, part 1980’s Sonic Youth. Guitars forever.
4. (2:42) *Sunset’s Fool – Think Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation period. Speechless.
5. (2:04) **Eyes Closed – FCC (fucking). Hüsker Dü impression. Effective and consumable. Fucking guitars!
6. (2:41) **Pain – Stooges meets early Replacements. Agitated punks here. Yeah!
7. (2:26) *Sex Witch – The fascination with Daydream Nation continues. Kim Gordon’s tribute. Eerily amazing.
8. (2:40) **On – Another Sonic Youth spin-off here. The best on the whole album!
9. (6:32) Dead Air – Semi-instrumental punker with some spoken word message at the beginning. Yes, more Sonic Youth blueprints used here.
10. (5:00) Calypso– Medium tempo tune a la Live Skull. New York should be proud.