Coral Fang
The Distillers
Published by Under The Radar
Coral
Fang
The Distillers
Published by Under The Radar
“Punk
is sunk,” Distillers drummer Andy Granelli told the LA Weekly
last summer. He likes the phrase because it rhymes. I like it because it goes
a long way toward explaining why records like his aren’t getting better
reviews. Punk has been shallow-breathing roadkill for well over a decade, and
it’s time for young bands to stop scooping it up and taking it to the
vet. Brody Armstrong is a great rock singer, more ferocious in the throat than
even Joan Jett or Courtney Love; and her words sound good together (“I
will give you a holy white rose / Cut the tongue from your head”). But
Coral Fang’s tracks follow a metronomic hardcore template that
would drag down greater talents. Mid-tempo, four-on-the-floor chord changes
form a flatline that’s neither menacing nor melodic enough to grab hold.
Two standouts would’ve made for a fine single: “The Hunger”
is loud-soft near-perfection, trading acoustic guitar with chorus muscle and
throat-shredding vocals. “Beat Your Heart Out” is a nice Generation
X job with bigger-buck production. More often than not, The Distillers’
insistent punk identity suffocates their music.