Strong Drunk Hands
Earlier in the year this album dropped in our inbox - however, I never got round to listening to it as I had my ear to whatever seemed to be coming out next. Eventually I gently reminded myself to get through the submissions whilst it was still manageable. Hence, here we are at Texan rockers We'll Go Machete and their second album, 'Strong Drunk Hands'.
The first thing to notice of 'Strong Drunk Hands' is the strong afterscent of bands like Fugazi, The Jesus Lizard, Drive Like Jehu, and their ilk, and to a lesser extent, Helmet and At The Drive-In. The discordant riffage and let-me-out vocals wouldn't go amiss in the mid-90's. This is a good thing, helped by crunching, angular melodies and intriguing lyrics besides. 'Strong Drunk Hands' is something of a grower. I didn't take to it straight away and felt it just became a little samey towards the end. Perseverance is a virtue, however, and the quality of the music stands out. Repeated listening exposes this album for what it truly is, and that's a quality record, by a band ready to display their influences but not simply be in awe of them, in the process reviving a classic sound and sounding fresh and menacingly dangerous.
This is definitely an album, and indeed a band, worth seeking out. I didn't exactly see this record coming but I'd definitely rank it as a lot better than most records I've heard this year, and it seems to get better and better with each listen. It feels as those this noise-rock renaissance hinted at by bands such as KEN Mode, for example, really has some legs to it, and We'll Go Machete are a welcome addition to that movement.
Peter Clegg
Buy/Download 'Strong Drunk Hands' here
Official Bandcamp page
Last.fm
Great album.
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