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White Stains: Blood on the Beach 7” (Neon Taste Records) White Stains’ first record was one of our favorites of 2020, so I had high expectations going in, but Blood on the Beach more than lives up to them. It sounds to me like White Stains backs off the throttle just a hair on Blood on the Beach, dialing back the rapid-fire slingshot rhythms and leaning into the more melodic and song-oriented aspects of their sound. In other words, it’s a little more Adolescents, a little less Group Sex. The melodies are infectious too, with moments like the chanted chorus of “2021” and the epic outro of “Laughing Gas” (ripped pretty much straight out of the Rikk Agnew handbook) standing out on this short but memorable record. Despite its brevity, Blood on the Beach feels composed and fleshed out; the songs are like little punk rock symphonies. White Stains can cut things down to the bone when they want to, but these brilliant songs prove they’re just as good at making punk rock that’s more composed and deliberate. Four total anthems, surely one of the best records that will come out in 2022.