COUGHS - SECRET PASSAGE (LOAD 088)

THE FINAL ALBUM BY NO WAVE SEXTET COUGHS IS A BIT OF A SHIFT FROM THE FIERY-THROATED ANTAGONISM OF FRIGHT MAKES RIGHT. THE JOURNEY SEEMS A LITTLE MORE INWARD. SLOWER. CREEPIER. THE LAST ALBUM WASN'T EXACTLY A BOWL OF CHERRIES BUT YOU COULD IMAGINE THEM SUPPORTING A GROUP LIKE LIARS AND ABOUT 25% OF THE AUDIENCE SAYING "OK MIGHT CHECK THAT OUT". HERE THE NUMBER IS PROBABLY NEARER TO 5% AND THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO THINK THE HEADLINE ACT IS TOO POP THESE DAYS ANWAY.

THIS MODE SUITS THEM PERFECTLY. 'MATURE' ISN'T THE RIGHT WORD: IT'S STILL COMING FROM THE SAME PLACE WHERE IDEAS OF MATURITY DON'T EXIST TO BE HONEST. BUT THEY MATCH THE BLEAKNESS OF MINOR-KEY (THIS ISN'T THAT ATONAL TO BE HONEST) LOW-MID-TEMPO SONGCRAFT WITH A BROODING PERFORMANCE AESTHETIC. YOU COULD MAKE COMPARISONS TO AIDS WOLF AND XBXRX HERE BUT I THINK AS A FULL-LENGTH ALBUM THIS TRUMPS ANYTHING THOSE BANDS DID (AND I LIKE THEM!)

I IMAGINE MOST PEOPLE WOULD HEAR THIS AND THINK IT A LOAD OF NIHILIST NOISE BUT THERE'S A CRAFT HERE, A SKILL IN THE PLAYING AS A BAND. IT'S A SHAME THIS WAS THE END BECAUSE I THINK THEY PROBABLY HAD NEW ROADS TO TRAVEL. MAYBE THERE'S NO REAL HOOKS - THAT WOULD BE A FAIR CRITIQUE TO BE HONEST - IT'S A MOOD THAT YOU HAVE TO SINK INTO. FOR ME, THAT'S NOT HARD, AS THE RECORD RIPS.

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