Seeing as Buffalo’s Lemuria have culled quite the fan base over the years, it was only a matter of time that they got their own comic book makeover. Along with their new 7″, they’re including a 40-page comic book, illustrated by Mitch Clem and Nation of Amanda, that tracks their apparently pretty wild and miserable tour through Russia back in 2001, which involved Nazis, rabid dogs, and—most harrowing of all—subpar pizza.
The B-side from Turnstile Comix #3, “Foggy Smoke” presents a stark picture of a burnt-out relationship that suits the frigid backdrop of the comic well. It starts out steady, with lots of fuzz and big, off-kilter bass backing the blunt statement, “I wanna give you away, you’re bothering me.” It’s just Sheena Ozzella’s voice on this track, and though it might sound sweet at first, it’s not at all innocuous as she follows up with the recurring phrase, “I hate you as much as I love you.” You can practically hear the teeth-clenching. This bitter intimation of ambivalence runs over a funky riff that persists well into the chorus, until the song breaks out into a ringing of power chords and feedback that’s appropriate to any pop anthem. Lemuria has managed to retain all their characteristic crispness while kicking up the energy a notch since 2013’s The Distance Is So Big, if that was possible—despite all the resentment in the subject matter, the song can’t escape feeling warm and inviting. It makes the freezing cold sound almost bearable.
Turnstile Comix #3: Lemuria is due out December 9 via Silver Sprocket.
