Bands like False Tracks are vital organs to any DIY scene across the world.
With a wealth of experience, False Tracks are a band their peers look up to. Wise and steadfast, they have been stalwarts of the Philly and DC scenes over the years, with members Jayme Guokas, Mike Hammel, Greg Pavlovcak and Jamie Wilson having featured in a slew of bands, including The Ropers, Lilys, The Snow Fairies, Pink Skull, Royal Shoals, Last Wave and The Vexers.
Having spent the last several years chipping away, with a number of EPs already under their belt, the hard work has paid dividends, as the band release their debut long-player, Hymn for Terror.
In a sense, Hymn for Terror is like a nostalgic drive around the old neighbourhood. Those of us who have spent their later years adopting a life away from the environments of their youth know the feeling of revisiting your youth. Some of those feelings can be strained, tainted, or indeed joyful, and thankfully Hymn for Terror (despite what its title suggests) is the latter.
From the opening urgent rush and buzzsaw guitars of Suspended Animation those past images are clear. In this case, it’s The Sound and Adrian Borland; seemingly the lost voice of late ’80s post-punk, but with tracks like Wet Market, Dark Room and Flooding the Nile, False Tracks do a pretty good job in shining the light onto one of the genre’s forefathers.
False TracksAnd there’s plenty more of that throughout Hymn for Terror. They Disappear at Dawn is like Buzzcocks on the uppers, while Who Will Reveal Their Secrets First is a subtle, slowed down version of noise-pop joy seeping into the soils of the landscapes inhabited by Flying Nun alumni. The hairpin turns keep coming with Dandelion – exactly the kind of song that Jonathan Richman should been writing over the last 20 years or so.
With Taste the Wall, False Tracks throw all their influences into the blender in what is the album’s clear highlight. A history of angular guitar music inside four minutes, and while Damnation contains remnants of Taste the Wall’s majesty, the backend of Hymn for Terror sees False Tracks flexing their muscles even more.
Bubblegum Runways and This Time Tomorrow both contain the sci-fi echoes of government conspiracies and a band in a room just having loads of fun. On Fragmentary Whispers, there’s a punkish beach rock vibe of Grant McLennan’s solo work, and it’s an avenue False Tracks could explore in future releases.
Hinting at a ’Mary Chain worship on Taste the Wall, it’s fitting that they close with the title track. Mixing jangle with that standard Reid brothers’ dissonance, it’s a perfect way to end this journey.
While the term post-punk is a loaded one these days, whether or not False Tracks see themselves as a part of that conversation is largely irrelevant. This is a band that has a synergy most others could only wish for. Not only are they the bricks and mortar essential to any DIY community, but also their tunes stack up. And on the back of Hymn for Terror, you get the sense that there will be a lot more of them in the future.
Hymn for Terror is out Friday via Strange Mono with proceeds from the sales being donated to Homies Helping Homies. Purchase from Bandcamp.
