Friday, May 01, 2020

The Spells - self titled

You've heard of garage rock, now how about some garbage rock! Hailing from Norfolk, Virginia, The Spells fully live up to their trashy aspirations on their wildly fun debut long player. What is garbage rock? Well I'm hearing the influence of everything from '70s punk to '60s garage rock to '50s rock and roll on these ten rip-roaring tunes. In both sound and spirit, these songs bring to mind that strain of first wave American punk that sought to revive the perfect simplicity of early rock and roll. Dead Boys, Heartbreakers, and the Ramones come to mind - as do pre-punk luminaries like The Sonics. What we have here are ten thumping tracks, of which only one (a Cramps cover!) exceeds the two-minute mark. These guys aren't fooling around! The sound is raw and primitive, the energy is undeniable, and the songs are killer. What else could you possibly need? Call it punk, call it garage, or just call it rock and roll. It doesn't really matter. This album is a party waiting to happen! You know what they say about one man's trash...



-L.R.

https://thespells1.bandcamp.com/album/the-spells
https://www.facebook.com/thespellsva

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