In their third iteration of the record-an-album-in-a-24-hour-span idea, FUCKED UP spent an uninterrupted day (from 1PM on August 6th to 1PM on August 7th) in the studio writing, recording, mixing, and mastering these 11 songs, which they then made available on Bandcamp for download for (you guessed it) only one day. Of course I bought it. Who do you think I am? I also spent like maybe 15 minutes watching the in-studio livestream of the recording on YouTube. (It had to compete with the Olympics and a family vacation for my attention.) It’s a testament to the band’s creative energies that the record is wonderful despite the self-imposed constraint. It also sounds like a new take on “David’s Town” from 2011, which featured a variety of guest vocalists and genre explorations. In other words, this record is probably a great listen for people who think FUCKED UP would be better if Damian wasn’t the vocalist. I’m not one of those psychos, yet the record still plays on repeat. It’s a marvel. They managed to get so many contrasting ideas to gel in such a short time.
The first four songs hit somewhere between the early singles and “David Comes to Life” in terms of raw energy and power. That is, it is a mix of drum beats from The UNDERTONES, an urgent melodic sensibility from ADOLESCENTS, and the vocal stylings of Dwid from INTEGRITY mixed with Jerry A from POISON IDEA. An exploration of what it means to grow old in a scene predicated on youth identity formation. Making something of yourself and reinventing that person over time. Still being disgusted by right-wing opportunists who try to co-opt the scene. Part of that reinvention means having kids who can share guest vocals on your songs, which at least one of Damian’s kids does on “YNIC,” which seems to stand for “You’re Not In Control,” if the lyrics are any indication. It’s hard to review a record absent liner notes or a physical form. In that way, this release is also a reprise of “Baiting the Public” (and its sequel “Being Annoying”) in that the lack of any information beyond the music is meant to frustrate the listener into analyzing the sonics more deeply. Damian’s opening line on the album’s first track, “No One’s Left” seems to be “Since when have I ever been a story without an end?” That implies a sense of finality for this project (the band and the album) because it is not meant to last forever. Something like “Oh, you thought I’d always be here? Well, I quit.” Enjoy it while it lasts, etc. It’s a good sentiment to use to open an album that is a commentary on impermanence.
These songs give way to “Living Nightmare,” a showcase for Jonah, and the longest song on the album. It’s Jonah doing his best version of Jerry A doing Sakevi. Just a little bit of pussyfooting. This track has the most straightforward, moshable moments and even a “trash” exclamation to go along with the requisite “ugh” and “bleh” parts. It’s a treat to be able to hear Jonah do his MAD MEN voice again for most of the track, too. When you hear those words, you think of Don Draper being too hot, while I think of Jonah Falco being “Too Hot;” we are not the same. He also had me fooled with the spoken word drawl on some parts of the song. I swore it was Jerry A doing the dopey talk singing thing but after discussing it with a friend, I realize it’s just Jonah morphing comfortably into yet another vocal style. The spoken “I’ll see you in hell” into a riff that sounds just like the opening to “Plastic Bomb” further solidified my confusion.
If these songs ever get vinyl treatment, I figure this is where the sides will split because “What’s New? (Mary Lou)” is a gem of a power pop song with some DINOSAUR JR.-esque noodling going on in the guitar leads. It’s a stark contrast to the pummeling onslaught of “Living Nightmare.” Both “Make You Mine” and “Sometimes” continue in a similar vein and bring to mind DANGERLOVES and The BAYONETTES, if we’re keeping Toronto-area punk bands of the early FUCKED UP era in mind. Well, “Make You Mine” is kind of its own thing, with Mike’s double-tracked, slightly out of sync vocals over a two-riff pop song that’s under two minutes long. It’s got the perfect cadence and rhyming lines to stay in your head forever. Damian comes back to the mic for “Conspiratorial Relations,” which is a solid, tuneful song that reminds me of a ‘90s punk song that I probably heard in a friend’s car one time in high school and never again, but somehow stuck with me all the same.
Jonah comes off the bench again with a HAPPY MONDAYS / PRIMAL SCREAM style trip with “Hold Up Half the Sky.” This is probably my favorite song on here because of the line “half of me shows up to work / and half of me a Mechanical Turk.” While they sit and record music for 24 hours straight, I’m sitting here like “Yeah, I like to give a half-assed effort at my job, too. I identify with this idea.” His delivery of “lean back and take a half-assed bow” is perfect. There’s just the hint of a stutter on bow and it communicates the idea of being uncommitted to anything. The album closes with “A Little Friend of Mine,” which again has Jonah on vocals, softly putting you to sleep. Given that the album’s run time is barely over 30 minutes, it’s not a chore to simply let it play again. There’s a lot of fun ideas and creativity involved in this project (the band and the album) and it’s inspiring that even after 23 years they can still do something so compelling in one day.
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