OFF! - Free LSD
Fat Possum
OFF's! fourth album, and my introduction to the band, pushes forth in a no-time-to-wait-around approach - things are to be done, so get them done! Time waits for no man. Nothing of worth occurs to wait around for anyway. Life is to be lived. Be ruthless with what you give your attention. Riding in on waves of red-hot redemption Free LSD captures a rolling momentum like no other. Straight ahead. Straight on. Face your fears. Face your friends. Face your foes.
'Free LSD' is akin to a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart. Pace-wise it's a take-no-prisoners ordeal. Strap yourself in and let it take you where you need to go. It knows the way, even if you've not entirely decided. A blitz of speed and riffery Free LSD pins your body back. Sonically glued to your chair you find it hard to move. Like a rat in a glue trap you may just have met your fate. This is how it ends. Alright.
Moments of free-jazz are dotted along the runtime of Free LSD. You could consider them a break from the non-stop nature of the album, however they're just as chaotic and unpredictable. The rest spots are lined with smal things that put the mind on edge. Didn't you hear? There. is. no. time. to. waste. The dissonant nature of the material adds a coarse cloak to proceedings. The jet-fuel jump of hardcore punk's past come through in razorsharp bouts of unadulterated energy.
Song-to-song the album plays out through smooth transitions - it feels like a coherent piece. The album masterfully makes its way forward. Like a flame following the scent of gasoline along its spilled route. It will catch up to the source soon enough, with explosive results. Smoke seeps out behind the musicianship. Amps find themselves on the verge of self-destruct - smouldering in chaotic and non-stop speed. Packaged in layers of abrasive qualities OFF! gift-wrap their essence with scrubs, sandpaper and anything that tends to wear things away.
A strong contender, if not my number one pick, for favourite artwork of the year comes at the hands of Raymond Pettibon. I find that there's something innocent, existential and soul-soothing about it.
