White knuckle post-punk barrels down the highway on Support*, the standout 2019 effort by New York trio FREE $$$. Armed to the teeth with guitars and marked by an ear for infectious danceable grooves, the band’s first full length evokes the spirit of the Talking Heads infused with the larger-than-life bravado of early 70s experimental rock, this latter facet a product of frontman Ben Petrisor’s frothy vocal performance. Petrsior’s pipes are immediately evocative of several similarly guttural singers who precede FREE $$$ (Captain Beefheart and Joe Cocker are among the first to come to mind), the centerpiece of the outfit’s drama that puts their sound over the edge; it embeds Support* with a necessary energy that in large part makes the record feel just on cusp of spinning out of control, vocals that, alongside breakbeat percussive rides and driving guitars, exhilarate and enthrall even the passive listener. Stream it below (preferably while already seated), and catch the band at Our Wicked Lady on February 28th for the Winter Madness semi-finals.
