New War

A lot of music is deranged. But how far beyond deranged must you go to see the world in blinding clarity again? I don’t know, but New War went there. A Melbourne four-piece with riot-grrl roots and no guitars, New War created a debut that wrenches no-wave and the more tribal aspects of post-punk into the present. This album is so elemental I’m worried they might split an atom the next time they record. It has the brutal energy of My Disco and Swans taken to new levels of intensity, as well as the ragged paranoia of The Drones. And you can dance to it like all get out. Which is to say, DROP EVERYTHING AND PLAY THIS NOW. All are favorites. FCC WARNING: 8, HIDDEN TRACK.

1. (4:03)—Fast. GIANT, noisy intro gives way to a four-on-the-floor beat. Cha-cha from hell is the only way I can think to describe this. One of the best album intros I’ve ever heard.
2. (5:20)—Medium-fast. Melancholy, sexy, extremely danceable.
3. (8:36)—Medium-slow, trippy, dubby. Never breaks its tightly controlled ominous vibe.
4. (4:45)—Very fast. Siren-like synths. The chorus vocals are just wordless howls. Off the chain.
5. (4:14)—Slow…and now they manage to sound like Swans and Suicide at the same time.
6. (7:13)—Slow. Dubby like track 3, but much more sedate.
7. (3:48)—Medium-fast. Military drumbeat. The vocals get especially unhinged here.
8. (3:27)—FCC QUESTIONABLE. Mid-tempo. Dramatic, desperate, almost nauseating. The noise at the end is actually painful.
9. (21:53, but stop it at -13:38)—Medium-slow. Shuddering drumbeat. Builds, builds, builds. AGHHH! This is “Frankie Teardrop”-level scary. Dead air from -13:38 to -3:33, then the hidden track starts, but it’s FCC OBSCENE, so don’t play it.