#321 Parts and Labor - Constant Future

One of a few songs off a recent run through Dusted's faves.

This one starts off really promisingly, with erratic drums and super buzzy, warbly synth lines. The pace on the first couple songs surges and ebbs and flows and crashes, its right up my alley. But then it really mellows out a lot, sounding very Interpol, trading the start-stop-swerve for new york post punk thrubthrubthrubthrubthrubthrubthrubthrub, and trading all those gorgeous, messy synths for more traditional thump and strum. Instead of songs that have you peaking around the next corner, most of the later songs are straight shots.

This isn't such a bad thing necessarily. Some of the repeated bits transcend on up to anthemic, carrying some of Pepper's (Butthole Surfers) eerie lurch. And at times (Echo Chamber) the production is punchy in a satisfying way, and Hurricane at least reaches for the places the first song promised might follow.

It reminds me of a lot of bands I listened to in the 90's who frontloaded their album with something really promising, but just didn't have the nerve or the genius to live up to that early excitement*. I'd listen to their next album, they've got promise, but this doesn't quite move me 2.5/5.

* Soul Asylum and Lunatic Calm, of all people, come to mind. I have weirdly specific memories of the CD Listening bar on Culver and Alton in the sweet, sweet heart of Irvine, CA.