Welcome the Worms
Dead Oceans
2016
Rating: 7 biscuit cups out of 10
I saw Bleached a number of years ago right after they released a couple of "hot shit" seven inches that had people buzzing, enjoyed the show, and then promptly forgot all about them. We're talking AGES ago people, like 2011 or 2012 ya know? This new album "Welcome the Worms" popped up on the internet, and why not see what they are up to these days?
According to my diligent research, I totally missed their debut album "Ride Your Heart" in 2013, which is probably why it felt like it had been so long since I had heard from them. Still, three years for a sophomore follow-up seems like a long time for such a young band. I guess not everyone is Ty Segall, pumping out material constantly like a modern garage rock Robert Pollard.
Anyways, as to what this record sounds like - a really polished, poppier version of the Runaways crossed with the "nineties slacker" vibe that seems so popular with this young crop of musicians who were toddlers during the meat of that decade. There's almost an early Weezer-ness to their best songs, or maybe a more current, timely reference would be Jeff the Brotherhood since Weezer has sucked since the late nineties. The songs are very catchy and the record is almost over-produced in a Haim sort of way, but I'm not sure that's a bad thing for the overblown pop these ladies are making. "Wednesday Night Melody" is a great track, as is opener "Keep On Keepin' On" - more importantly, not a dud to be found. I'd definitely go see them play again if they came through town.
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