Bandicoot- Jurassic Warfare
8/10

Stepping into the footprints left by Be Your Own Pet, Bandicoot’s bratty punk rock sounds ever so similar to the Tennessee teens. The difference is that Bandicoot actually sound like a genuine punk band; rough, unpolished and with loads of teenage angst. Be Your Own Pet, while fun, sleazy and chic, always sounded like they were faking it, just a little bit. There’s no irony in the fact that both bands are/were fronted by spitting, rebellious teenage girls, both named Pearl. Their lyrics and attitudes are similar, but one doubts Bandicoot’s Pearl McGlashan was influenced by BYOP’s Jemina Pearl. They’ve also been compared to The Mint Chicks, but that’s perhaps more geographically bound than due to their music. As one who wasn’t in Auckland during The Mint Chicks’ early days, at which time they gained the reputation as the noisiest and most obnoxious band around, it’s hard to compare the two, but Bandicoot has most definitely set the Auckland live scene on fire. They’re currently dominating the local music media and they’ve been offered just about every international support slot available. So with their live reputation carrying them forth, how does it translate to record? Well it’s a little greasy and a little untamed but it’s ultra spicy and bites like poison. ‘Yr Art Degree Doesn’t Mean Shit’ says fuck you to pretentious art school students, as Pearl fires insults into a twisted catch phrase, singing “so run along and act all snarky, super faggy and talk about art.” Reuben Winter’s guitar riffs blast like a cannon before erupting into a wall of spastic, wobbly noise and Daniel McBride’s drumming keeps the music in rhythm and stops it from falling apart. ‘Bessie’ sounds like an expulsion of rage towards an ex-best friend similar to BYOP’s ‘Becky’, but it’s much noisier. ‘Bitchface’ has a similar theme, tearing apart a backstabbing ex (best friend, girlfriend, whatever…). The line “She’s wishing that she was me, I’m treading water, she’s walking on her knees,” is gritty and angry and the song ends with a circuitry of drum rolls and jolting guitar stabs. ‘Silence Is Golden’, a live favourite, is the only minor disappointment, lacking a bit of intensity. It does however display Reuben’s guitar skills, shredding and piling on speedy riffs, working them into a ball of fury before Pearl drops the line “Silence Is Golden”. Live, the crowd jumps around and shouts along, unfortunately you can’t see that in your speakers.
Nick

 

Posted by Nick Fulton under Album, Reviews
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