Uzi Rash – “I Was 30 In 2012″ – [Volar Records]

Excellent anxiety attack rock. Fourth release from this evolving Oakland unit,
Max-imum Nordile on the vox that add a hint of Pere Ubu to the Uzi. His trebly
scream/yell is matched by Courtney Crusher’s farfisa on hyperdrive hitting
high notes. Nordile’s guitar work too is excellent, really love the spackle
and scratch applied to the frets on “A Rat Above.” I’m curious if he can
have nail down the wild spastic singing and guitar slinging at the same time
live. Lyrics are all clean except for the cover of the Descendents’ “Parents”
(hmmm typing that feels like a ripple in the space time continuum). And
the lyrics aren’t that clean, lots of water, dirt and mud getting sloshed
around. But as one of the song titles goes, it’s all “Controlled Filth.” This
feels like your invited to a party and the band is playing, kinda tweaked but
the most you listen you realize they’ve just got their sound and tunes down!
Shannon Shaw adds pretty but unimpressed calm background vox on
“Black Sun” to contrast with Nordile’s panicky rant. Guest sax stacked up on
“No Money, No Problem.”?? And right when you think you need a kazoo break,
the Rash deliver on?? “Holes in the Walls.”?? More malarkey in the higher
registers, kazoo, Nordile’s voice and Crusher’s keys…this is the kind of
catchy, crazy and I think I’ll be able to still hear this when I’m deaf…

-Thurston Hunger