BRAINBOMBS - SINGLES COMPILATION (LOAD 019)

BY MY ESTIMATIONS THIS IS LOAD RECORDS' FIRST OVERSEAS SIGNING. FOR SOME REASON EVEN AT THIS TIME I ALWAYS FELT THAT SWEDEN'S BRAINBOMBS WERE SOME KIND OF "INSTITUTION", A VENERABLE BAND THAT LOAD WERE LUCKY TO HAVE. SURE THEY'D BEEN AROUND SINCE 1985 BUT THEY HADN'T EVEN PLAYED IN THE STATES. SO ACTUALLY IT WAS PROBABLY LOAD BREAKING BRAINBOMBS TO ME AND THE WORLD.

THEIR BASIC STYLE IS THIS NAUSEAOUS REPETITIOUS GARAGE ROCK PERFORMED WITH A NIHILIST SITUATIONIST APPROACH. THEY HAVE THIS NEAT TRICK WHERE THEY WILL LURCH FROM SLOPPY STOOGES STYLE REPETITIONS INTO NO WAVE INTENSITY AND THEN END UP SOMEWHERE JAZZ ADJACENT. THEIR STRENGTH IS THEIR MUSIC AND INTERPLAY. IT IS IMMEDIATELY IDENTIFIABLE EVEN BEFORE THE ACCENTED DEADPAN VOCALS COME IN.

IT CAN'T BE HIDDEN THAT THEY ARE PROVOCATEURS. THEY SAY SOME PRETTY HORRIBLE THINGS ACTUALLY. IT'S DONE IN THAT POST-PETER SOTOS/WHITEHOUSE TERRITORY WHERE THEY'RE TESTING THE BOUNDARIES. THEY FAKE LIKE THEY DON'T WANT TO BE ALIVE AND THE WHOLE WORLD IS A JOKE. I DOUBT THEY WOULD CARE ABOUT BEING "CANCELLED" BUT THE WORLD IS SO POP OBSESSED IT WOULD LIKELY NEVER STUMBLE ACROSS BRAINBOMBS TO CANCEL THEM. THIS MUST TROUBLE THEM. I IMAGINE A SMALL SUBSET OF THEIR FANS ARE GRUESOME.

15-20 YEARS AGO THIS APPROACH WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE TO ME. NOW I JUST WISH THEY SANG SOME SHIT I COULD IGNORE.