Destroy This Place
Self-Titled
Bellyache Records
Street: 05.14
Destroy This Place = The Ataris + Catch 22 –
Charlie Parker
If Destroy this Place came out in the late ’90s or early ’00s, it would have been cozy snuggling up between Ozma and Green Day on my CD rack. Plus, it would be in a jewel case and not ones and zeros on my hard drive. Musically, not much sets this album apart from earlier power-pop, but vocally, a few tracks stand out. In “Werewolf Mask,” the vocals show a broader range and the mastered ability to transition between high frequency melody (almost losing any recognizable trace of gender) and harsh ’90s screams. The guitar intro to “Defeated,” mistakable as the beginning of The Thermals’ More Parts Per Million, transitions into something flatter, with monotone, masculine vocals, like those of The Mr. T Experience. While the genre still holds a nostalgic charm, and despite the blips of “Defeated” and “Werewolf Mask,” Destroy This Place came too late for me.