Black Lips guitarist Ian Saint Pé released a solo album this month utilizing the kind of punk and garage influences that provided his parent band acclaim. Fixed Focus is twelve tracks of jangly, distorted guitars, driving rhythms, and a kind of belligerent vocal performance that instantly conjures indie rock talk-singers like Kurt Vile. The album offers a variety of song constructions, from the slower, melodic, 90s alt rock style of “As of Late” to the rapid and forceful punk aesthetic of “Spun and Spurn,” Saint Pé works within the sonic limitations of his own musical tradition to craft a collection of songs that pushes its boundaries.
-Andrew Strader