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Hardcore from NYC!
Our take: New York’s Church Clothes has released a couple of cassettes and I’ve noticed them gigging heavily, so it’s great to see some vinyl. As befitting their enigmatic yet evocative band name and cover artwork, Church Clothes has an original style that draws from across hardcore’s history. The music is fast and riffy, which grounds it in the tradition of early 80s-inspired hardcore, but you’ll hear lots of little stylistic choices that draw from other areas… pogo beats, dive bombs, breakdowns, and even a couple of brief blast beats. Thanks to Church Clothes’ ultra tight playing and the bright, heavy, and punchy production (courtesy Artifact Audio, who has recorded a lot of your favorite punk records of the past several years), they don’t sound unfocused all, but like a band who can confidently draw from a wide range of influences. I think fans of Torso would dig Church Clothes… while Church Clothes doesn’t lean on the same d-beat and straight edge influences as Torso, the production style and the eclecticism of the approach are similar, and both bands have a roaring sound that grabs your attention and won’t let go. I love records like this that sound vital and powerful, yet determined to engage with what hardcore is today rather than leaning so heavily on older sounds and styles.
Our take: New York’s Church Clothes has released a couple of cassettes and I’ve noticed them gigging heavily, so it’s great to see some vinyl. As befitting their enigmatic yet evocative band name and cover artwork, Church Clothes has an original style that draws from across hardcore’s history. The music is fast and riffy, which grounds it in the tradition of early 80s-inspired hardcore, but you’ll hear lots of little stylistic choices that draw from other areas… pogo beats, dive bombs, breakdowns, and even a couple of brief blast beats. Thanks to Church Clothes’ ultra tight playing and the bright, heavy, and punchy production (courtesy Artifact Audio, who has recorded a lot of your favorite punk records of the past several years), they don’t sound unfocused all, but like a band who can confidently draw from a wide range of influences. I think fans of Torso would dig Church Clothes… while Church Clothes doesn’t lean on the same d-beat and straight edge influences as Torso, the production style and the eclecticism of the approach are similar, and both bands have a roaring sound that grabs your attention and won’t let go. I love records like this that sound vital and powerful, yet determined to engage with what hardcore is today rather than leaning so heavily on older sounds and styles.