Frenzied riffs and jagged rhythms clash in propulsive DIY fashion
Last month, Los Angeles punk band Hugh Effo released their excellent self-titled debut album – ten propulsive tracks full of frenzied riffs and jagged percussion. On Hugh Effo, the group – comprised of Matt Scotch (lead vocals, guitar), John Reid (guitar), Jimmy Nickerson (bass) and Hank Smith (drums) – fuses ’80s-style punk and driving modern garage with a dash of angular, arpeggio-heavy post-punk.
From start to finish, the LP is an explosion of combustible, nervy energy – with its noodling guitar riffs, stuttering rhythms and lyrics expressing a mounting sense of existential dread. There’s a breathless, unraveling sonic motion on songs like “In the City” and the title track, which highlight a feeling of calculated chaos. Meanwhile, the pensive, garage-y post-punk textures of tracks like “Layla the Lacerator” and “Tame” carry a simmering energy that eventually unspools into soaring anthemic choruses. Overall, it’s a diverse and manic DIY punk record, and a brilliant debut from Hugh Effo. You can buy it HERE and preview it below.
