Glued - Cool Evil
GLUED GOES CRUELLA DE VIL ON ‘COOL EVIL’
St. Louis’ post-punk pop band Glued just dropped their debut LP, called Cool Evil on Born Yesterday Records. If Cruella de Vil had a band, Glued would be it.
Glued
Made up of Chelsi Webster (drums, vocals), Johnny Wu Gabbert (bass), Kevin Guszkowski (guitar), and Sean Ballard (guitar, vocals), Glued’s music mingles post-punk, edgy art-punk, and tinges of pop panache into a sound that’s dissonant yet yummy, like gargling with single malt scotch. It burns but it goes down smooth.
Containing eight tracks, the album begins with “Used To It,” a sardonic song, sung cynically, as a method of social commentary. The first line of the lyrics pretty much says it all: “Will somebody do something? We never heed the call.” I love the crunching, mesmeric rhythm of the tune and the layered strident guitars overhead.
Highlights include the second track, which might be the best on the album – “Beach Boys.” Riding dissonant introductory guitars, the melody jars, yet demands that you listen. The dissonant effect is provided by slanted, angular tones, tight and squirming. Definite punk savors flow from the harmonics, skintight and impudent.
Webster’s voice demands special attention. It’s a voice with riot grrrl timbres and metallic undertones.
The title track adds Cure-like flavors to taut blaring discordant guitars, as if everyone’s out of tune. Chanting vocals infuse the lyrics with malevolence. The solo section is disturbingly delicious, like fingernails dragging down a blackboard as syncopated, almost wild, percussion sets the chopping foundation.
“Grounded By Pavement” is what I call dissonant surf-punk, rife with shrill colors and nonchalant-sounding vocals, as well as a surf-rock undulation hidden beneath the piercing tones. The last track, called “No Past” exudes a Lynchian edginess and projects pulverizing high-pitched radiations that take on asylum-like ferocity.
Webster’s voice demands special attention. It’s a voice with riot grrrl timbres and metallic undertones. On the one hand, it’s annoying and grating; on the other hand, it’s wonderfully evocative and scrumptiously alluring, which makes it a most decorative bit of work. I like it.
Cool Evil is astonishingly good, ignoring every harmonic precedent with mischievous aplomb. Glued has it going on. Don’t miss this one.
