Normal Love – “Survival Tricks” – [Ug/Explode]

2nd full length from this quintet of Philadelphia transplants invading NYC with their dystopian musical mutations of post-punk popsicle proportions. We have all the glitter and frill you expect from the post-bubblegum generation complete with a spattering of reactionary angularities and spontaneous structural deconstruction to tear it all down. Almost like if Disneyland ran at double speed and we all loaded up on pixie sticks and Dr Pepper to try and keep up, but the rides keep breaking anyways. Some tracks get all cyberpunk like a dance party on Mars while others send you to the stars with jarring interplanetary assaults, but its mostly just pure manic hysteria. The album is truly symphonic in scope with moments of eerie operatic encores or dynamic narrative interludes. It is at the perfect meeting point of erratic no-wave noise rock and contemporary composition, fitting neatly into the ugEXPLODE mold. Burn baby burn….