Death From Above 1979
The Physical World
Last Gang Records – September 9th 2014
By Rebecca Milner (@beccamilner)
Find it at: iTunes | Insound | Official Store
6.8
With a decade of inactivity in the rear-view, Death From Above 1979’s The Physical World is crammed with the blistering, gritty noise-punk you’d expect from Jesse F. Keeler and Sebastian Grainger. In fact, it’s a refinement of what was birthed at Toronto’s The Chemical Sound and the better-late-than-never LP rewires their damage meter from the ground up. “Cheap Talk” and “Right On, Frankenstein!” roar to life like zombies in leather; “White Is Red” is a melodic swig of mid-tempo crunch; and “Trainwreck 1979” is a radio mirage that leans on a sprinkling of piano and a dangerously sweet falsetto. For what it’s worth, the duo’s infectious choruses offer a refreshing change of pace but D. Sardy’s attempt to shake a new generation out of their digital stupor lacks experiential production as it sticks to what’s customary than what can produce “sexy results”. It’s a minor snag as DFA1979 make sure it’s barely visible and it doesn’t deter from the purpose of The Physical World, which is to keep you salivating over every progressive lick.
Listen: “Gemini”, “Right On, Frankenstein!”, “The Physical World” || Watch: “Trainwreck 1979”