ninehertz

It is genuinely lovely to see Tee Pee Records still going strong after all these years. Once a bastion of the heavier end of psychedelia, they’re still providing a public service in highlighting bands we may otherwise not have heard and, judging by this release, they’re not afraid to branch out some now either.

Step forward Stepmother, from Melbourne, and their new album Absurdus Manifestus, a riotous punk rock record with a proto-metal aura, sipping from the wells of The Damned and Blue Cheer. They’re fronted by Graham Clise, of Lecherous Gaze and J. Mascis’ Witch, to give weight to their pedigree.

The punk veneer is evident immediately and blatantly cool, fondly sounding like Iggy Pop singing with The Damned, with a raucous garage rock delivery. There are occasional thoughts towards the Misfits, others where scuzzy guitars align with flying tempos to generate a mood that’s infectious. Beast and Man stands out, a wacky race soundtrack that brings in the mania of Zeke and The Dwarves.

There are moments where the enjoyment sags a little in the middle, the punk spirit dies down, and it becomes a little middle of the road and low energy. Perhaps this is just an inevitability for a thirteen-track album, and it's worth saying that the posi- vibes remain throughout. There are some highs towards its end too, such as the almost post-hardcore of Sick Thoughts and a return to the bright and breezy punk on the excellent Space Invader.

It is, above all else and with the avoidance of the levels of scrutiny a review brings, a fun record, one which I felt happier listening to without realising.