SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SUZI MOON – DUMB & IN LUV

Suzi Moon
Dumb & In Luv
Pirates Press Records

Punk rocker Suzi Moon’s debut album sees the raspy, riot-grrrl singer blending the hard-hitting visceral punk sound of her first EP, Call The Shots, with the slightly more melodic sound of her Animal EP. Yet however one chooses to describe it, it still retains that savage punk edge.

Entry points include the title track, opening on rumbling drums, followed by dark, growling guitars elevating to blistering incandescent levels. Moon’s sneering vocals imbue the lyrics with fierce tones, giving the tune snarling momentum.

Whereas “California,” is vaguely reminiscent of Courtney Love and Hole, it rolls out on heaving guitars dripping with pop-punk flavors and hints of alt-rock. A guitar-enflamed breakdown shifts the harmonics and then mousses back up to brawny dynamics.

The intro to “I Go Blind” features compact, fuzzed-out guitars highlighted by full stops and finessed, vicious percussion. Moon’s vocals infuse the lyrics with latent tenderness, demonstrating her vocal range.

A couple of tracks fall flat, such as “Family,” which comes across as disjointed and too dependent on reverberating guitars and globular drums; and “Freedom,” an amalgam of country, folk, and punk, a combination resulting in a mawkish sound that’s out of place on a punk album.

For the most part, the bulk of the songs throb with angst-filled, ferocious punk, displaying beaucoup de muscle and oomph.

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