REVIEW: Bass Drum Of Death – “GB City”

Bass Drum Of Death / GB City / Fat Possum

Sex, drugs and rock n’ roll – not to mention gravity bongs and trying to unbutton the jeans of religious girls. Bass Drum Of Death’s GB City comes off as the soundtrack for the next Bill & Ted adventure but the swagger in which it moves with proclaims it’s much more than an exemplification of prestige stoner rock. Case number one being the LP’s flow; the 32 minutes start off with an emphatic thud from drummer Colin Sneed on “Nerve Jamming” where guitarist John Barrett swoons in, letting out a croon mimicking 70s’ garage rock revival activists (Iggy Pop, Patti Smith). Yet, there’s so much more beneath the haze.

The Mississippi duo don’t purposefully imitate for 11 tracks; instead, they spike their own mix of basement rock with a bit of restless youth . “Get Found” and “Velvet Itch” are raw, pulsating jams that are every bit visceral until the tempo drops, the fuzz powers through, and the lazed-out numbers hit the needle (“Spare Room”, “Young Pros”). The shift acts drastic and delivers; the transitions aren’t always smooth but Sneed and Barrett have a defiant range. One minute GB City is funneling garage flavors, equipped with the 24-second fingerpicked solo, and the next it’s taking a sharp, technical breakdown to help echo the profession “I could never be your man”. Some look at the duo tag and call that talent; to Bass Drum Of Death, it’s just homegrown artistry.

Download: “Get Found”, “Nerve Jamming”, “Leaves”

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