As the Buzzcocks once sang, noise annoys. When it’s good, it annoys in a beautifully powerful way, one that you can latch onto regardless of whether you’re sad, angry or joyful.
When it’s bad, noise just annoys. But it still gets an 8.6 from Pitchfork.
Perfect Pussy: “Say Yes to Love” (Captured Tracks) This tedious, muddy album could only be praised at a time when everyone knows that Sonic Youth and Hüsker Dü eventually became legends. After all, if you know that a “Confusion is Sex” or “Land Speed Record” can eventually lead to a “Daydream Nation” or “New Day Rising,” you might as well start singing the praises early on. While I won’t deny that there is potential here for a good punk group, I just hope the band challenges themselves more than the reviewers have. Grade: C PLUS
Eagulls: “Eagulls” (Partisan) They broke the first rule of punk with their name: distance yourself from Don Henley as much as humanly possible. Otherwise, they do write memorable choruses and I suppose this could be a decent drinking album. Still, one No Age is enough for me –sometimes, it’s too much. Grade: B MINUS
