FAFO is probably the acronym that I’ve been relatively happy to have come across in the past few months. I’m not sure why it’s never been used up until more recently but yeah, it’s a good one. When I think of the post-hardcore outfit Iron Lung, that’s what comes to mind. The duo – Jensen Ward (drums/vocals) and Jon Kortland (guitar/vocals) have just released its first album in 12 years and while I may sometimes scoff at the deranged sounds of artists attempting to convey something within its music, with Adapting//Crawling (Iron Lung Records), no fucks are given. The band reels back and forth on tracks that linger within brevity (20 seconds to 3 minutes and 30 seconds), there’s no play time for the band, it attacks and leaves you reeling. There’s no in between. Welcome back Iron Lung, welcome back.

After an album and couple of EP releases, the Washington state trio of post-punk goth rockers Datura return with its full-length debut release Songs From A Dark House (Sell The Heart Records). And what a fucking album it is. Recalling the group’s previous work, it didn’t seem very memorable as its new release which hits the throttle at full speed. Take “Nobody Cares” for example, its bouncy tempo is accentuated by guitars with guttural effect pedals giving the song a bit more charm as the group charges through. Those same guttars fill the space on pop-infused “Sirena” pero aqui, vocals are in Spanish. Ok, that was a bit unexpected with I-don’t-want-to-be-here-with-you emotional feelings of breakups. As always I’m here for the chaos. Datura has its way throughout the album, finding its literal spark with the ability to write hit after hit. “Still Waiting” is catchy AF while “Burnout” captures something special within it. There’s something special about Datura and it’s all wrapped up neatly within this album.  

TUNDE ADEBIMPE – THEE BLACK BOLTZ

Whenever that first single drops, you’re met with surprise, no matter who the artist is. When it’s coupled with a debut album, for better or worse, it’s going to make you pay attention. But there’s no beating around the bush here with the release of Thee Black Boltz (Sub Pop) by TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe, which marks his solo debut album. While Adebimpe has worked in a variety of mediums – Film, TV, visual art – music continues to be a focal point in his life.

Disclaimer: if Webster contained a photo for the word “Biased”, you might catch my ugly mug there because since the band’s Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, yeah I’ve listened to TVOTR as I watched its meteoric rise. But that doesn’t guarantee success with solo efforts or side projects. Of course many sat back anticipating the release of Three Black Boltz and after the release of the expansive single “Drop.” It’s filled with washes of keys, guitar, and in inventive beat(box), Adebimpe left listeners intrigued as the song continued to shuffle about with his recognizable voice lifted above it all focusing on his life, his mortality. The song reels you in without effort. But I’ve gotten ahead of myself here but the song does ring out with an exquisite beauty. Adebimpe sets the tone with the brief spoken word opening title track that doesn’t prepare you for what’s to follow. Within the confines of the album, there’s a variety of forms and styles that leave no stone unturned. The standout “Magnetic” is the punk-infused, grimy electronic free-flow we never thought we wanted, but it is what we needed. The song is anthemic and you can almost see Tunde bouncing, raging through his words.

The pop infectiousness of “God Knows” is cleverly juxtaposed with toxic relational lyricism as Adebimpe shifts his words atop sugary guitars with a melody that just won’t let up, but loosely rides a rhythm, a crescent wave alongside his harmonies. Everything is intentional and purposeful without being forced. The number is both melancholic and cheerful, leaving you with emotions you won’t have the ability to understand. Now, Adebimpe inhabits a number of spaces, shown here with the acoustically guitar-driven “ILY,” but the song’s mechanical percussion seems to tie it all together. What’s fascinating about him though, is the ability to cull and piece together melodies that may sound as if they’re in their simplest form but have distinct melodies floating around. This is what “The Most” and “Blue” sometimes do, while the former mixes in that “Under Me Sleng Teng” bassline into the mix without skipping a beat. Fucking genius! It’s easy to move repeatedly back again to the post-love loss lyrics as he laments a distanced end. It’s the “I love you, but you’re just not good for me” feeling throughout it. “Blue” on the other hand, builds around a simple melody and turns into a powerhouse of a song that hits the right spot as it turns corners, shifts its dynamics through the darkness. As Adebimpe moves from this to “Somebody New,” he changes direction again for something more nostalgic, as synths throb and his voice is treated here on this captivating number. This is probably his appeal as he can adorn so many different skins, like some changeling, and continuously come out on top.

There’s so much more to be discovered throughout Thee Black Boltz that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. Tunde Adebimpe is a master craftsman when it comes to songwriting, and yes, “Magnetic” is the song that will resonate through my very being at least for the rest of the year. This album though? Phenomenal.

MELVINS 1983 – THUNDERBALL

Sean Connery was a favorite actor of many, and he played several roles, but none more memorable than that of the famed James Bond, 007. It’s been 60 years since his role in Thunderball – a title I often confuse with Rollerball, which featured James Caan – but I had to revisit the 1965 film because an album was just released with the same title.

Given, this Thunderball might have played well as a soundtrack to the original Rollerball, but that might be a story for another time. Melvins 1983 returns with its latest endeavor, and if you’re unaware, the band is an offshoot of the Melvins moniker, which features both guitarist Buzz Osborne and original drummer Mike Dillard. Thunderball marks the third release the two have made together, and this time around, both Void Manes (noise, creepy machine vocals), and Ni Ni Maîtres (double bass, noise, hand gestures) have been brought into the fold. Sonically, the album doesn’t shift at all from the band’s signature sound, but what it does this go around is deliver something slightly different without compromise.

There may be only five songs on the album, but three of them position themselves over 8 minutes to just over the 11-minute mark. We get the roaring “King Of Rome” that opens the album with a sheet of guitar power that invites listeners into its heavy delivery, smitten with punk ethos, although the Melvins’ formula never seemed to be about writing songs within punk structures. The band has always been bigger than that. What’s also interesting is “Vomit of Clarity,” where both Void Manes and Ni Ni Maîtres take the lead on this instrumental, piecing together a canopy of electronic sounds and percussion. While it might seem odd within the context of the Melvins but for whatever reason, this ominous track works well within those band walls. But those same peculiarities find their way into other tracks. The 11-minute-plus “Short Hair With A Wig” creates a feedback-laced mélange, but as soon as the sinister low end comes in, we all know something is happening. And indeed it is, with Osborne’s guitar notes wrapping themselves around the rhythm but when he sings “Beyond your twisted mind/What’s the appeal?/3 o’clock in the morning, it doesn’t sound good/Getting ready to happen/I feel like a thief/Not going to live like this, that was real good…” we can tell something is brewing as he broods on. But did I mention those guitars? When mentioning the Melvins, it’s rarely brought up on how adept he is at making his six-stringed guitar scream; coming alive. He is one of the great players of our time that doesn’t get mentioned alongside some of those that came up around the same time. But more than halfway through the song you’d barely notice how long it is. Melvins has a way of doing that to you, seemingly ending abruptly.

It’s on the almost 10-minute long  “Victory Of The Pyramids” though, where we might think the band is taking its shot at a pop hit…but not at 10 minutes. The band rallies around an infectious melody right before it turns into something different altogether. The scorching fervor of the band can be found. Right. Here. And then again, the band changes pace with its spine-chilling melody. Here though, it’s Osbourne’s vocal range that will leave us all fascinated. Metal has seen the birth, growth, and fall of artists that have raged on but as the years pass, something different has happened to Osbourne. He’s gotten so much better with his instrument, blowing everyone out of his way. It will leave you dumbfounded.

Thunderball lives up to the power and prowess of its name, leaving no stone unturned, as Melvins 1983 continues to take unnecessary changes and still comes out on top. If there is a rock god, it’s called Melvins.