Fire Track: Louse – “Bed Of Knives”

Like some mutated phantom lurking in the shadows, Cincinnati based new-wave punks Louse emerge into light with their debut LP Passions Like Tar– a heady and sullen collection of post-punk hits. Louse have been crafting hypnotic, dense gothy anthems since forming in 2021, and continue to do so with Passions like Tar. Since their conception, the group consistently deliver 80’s era-correct, modulated, guitar-driven punk that is informed by bands like Killing Joke, Bauhaus, and Christian Death, but delivered with their uniquely coloured angular riffs and fevered, anguished vocals. Fret not, because you can expect more of their beautifully warped vision executed on Passions Like Tar… out on Feel It Records on September 20th 2024.

Passions Like Tar is a collection of intense, evocative songs that traverse a sunless landscape roving between dancy hits like “Thieves” to more spatial, gloomy tracks like “A Potter’s Field”. The songs are stylistically linked by the band’s lush guitar and synth arrangements, epically crooned dismal lyrics, and tightly wound primitive drum parts that pulse and prod like amphetamine fueled detonations . The song-structures skew from linear and driving to thoughtfully plotted ballads with an intentionally executed scope. Despite the record’s diverse palate, these songs collectively create a cohesive, original, and warped vision of a cryptic yet accessible post-punk dystopia. The band has clearly rallied to create a visceral yet thoughtful record that will gel with seasoned goths and new punks in exploration alike. Louse’s Passions like Tar is another glorious reason to shuffle this wild and beautiful mortal coil, dancing into oblivion.

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