I’ve been listening to a lot of The Clash lately. I think it’s something about the springtime that brings out the 70’s punk girl in me. When I heard the first song off Terry Malts’ new 7-inch I’m Neurotic, I couldn’t help but equate the two. Their biography section on their Facebook Page, while never the most important way to retrieve information on a band, seems to, in this case, ring true to the trio as it reads, “Detached, disillusioned so and so’s, thriving on barely trying.” These Bay Area boys pull off the lazy and bored musician thing better than most.
The first song off the EP, also titled “I’m Neurotic,” starts with a fuzzy guitar riff over a fast-paced and extremely powerful drumbeat as the vocals creeps quietly into the song repeating “I’m neurotic.” It’s the perfect opener for a 7-inch as it instantly grabs an audience that seems to be currently obsessed with finding a 60’s or 70’s band to compare a new band to (guilty). Terry Malts originality shines through more on the second track, “Distracted” which kicks off with an echoing gospel-like acapella before starting into another quick and highly succinct drumbeat with drawn-out guitar riffs. The last track “Where is the Weekend?” is by far the “sloppiest” song in the best and most oxymoronic way possible. The patterned and simple lyrics over a chaotic and fast paced tempo in a short two minutes left me wanting more—hoping for a full-length from these guys soon.
–Anna Oseran