Feeling depressed? Down in the dumps? Do you maybe wish that you were? Well the Chromatics new full length is full of dark and brooding post punk experiments guaranteed to dampen the mood of even the cheeriest of Care Bears. The songs on Plaster Hounds are built around simple but effective bass grooves, fuzzed-out guitar, and loose, minimal percussion. Vocalist Adam Miller inserts his incoherent yelps somewhere in the back of the mix.
One of the things that give this album such a dark, menacing feel is its intentionally amateur production. The instruments sound like they were recorded from the far end of a hallway in an old abandoned warehouse or something. Although I don't think it was an accident for the record to sound as trashy as it does I do think that Plaster Hounds could have benefited from a more polished production. The Chromatics have crafted a sound which pays homage to New York punk pioneers of the 70's but will do very little for the average listener. Two and a half stars for effort.
2.5/4
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