5 out of 5

Label: Latest Flame Records

Producer: Thom Geibel? (engineer)

IfIHadAHiFi are like bands that I dream about, spashms of rock and noise that burst and buzz and crackle with intelligence but not such that you can’t sink into a fun chorus, gang vocals that you can reasonably shout without tearing your throat up, and a nice balance of your standard guitar-bass-drums where each play an necessary part to the track and aren’t all necessarily just following a predictable strum or thump.  That’s not to say everything the band has touched is flawless – they are absolutely subject to whoever’s twiddling the dials, as so much noise needs a little pushing and prodding to sound balanced over an album, and a couple of their recordings end up falling flat due to – to my ears – recordings that don’t manage this prodding so successfully.

Yes, there’s a dash of history with HiFi – their original lineup used the noise a bit differently, as more of an instrument, until things shifted into a more straight-forward rock sound with an extra layer of oomph thanks to whatever samples or keys someone is mashing in the background.  The slapdash of it reminds me of a punked-up Lynnfield Pioneers (their first couple albums, anyway), in the sense that there’s a discordant flavor to it that just works to make it rock harder.

I can’t offer much specifics beyond the praise up there, save that the EP plus some tracks is one of those mini-albums that’s a perfect length for repeat listens… by the time you get to the last track, you’re ready for track 1 again.  And the band balances things in-song such that your ears aren’t bleeding too much to physically be able to listen to it all day – I mean, yes, it’s noise-rock, but that’s how I mean about their awareness of the importance of each aspect, seemingly – some songs definitely barrel out of the gate, but they’re balanced by those that build upon themselves to a great chorus, or just a great thumping of instruments.  There’s certainly a smile to the lyrics – I mean, there’s a Ric Flair song, so, yeah – but it doesn’t feel like it’s all just a hipster joke… it’s just a veil over whatever heart pulses at the core of the band, much like the extras are just a layer on the energy.  You can’t fake it.