Sunday 19 May 2013

Life Partner - Dead Wrestlers

Album review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


I wonder if the fact that everyone's releasing everything on cassette again will mean that electrical companies start remaking the actual equipment that you can play the things on? Mind you, it's buy the tape as a memento and download the tunes digitally isn't it? However you digest your music, it's ultimately whether or not it sounds any good that matters. When it comes to US band Life Partner, information is scarce and the press release doesn't even mention them. It just tells some odd tale about dead wrestlers, and that seems to be the only connection; Life Partner's latest album is called 'Dead Wrestlers', you can pick it up on tape if you like.

If we just concentrate on the whole "is it any good?" side of things we can give you a simple answer that, yes, if this is your type of thing then you'll get much enjoyment from Life Partner. And that type of thing is fuzzed-out, stoner-rock that sounds like it's from 1994. There's been a big revival in this genre recently as you well know, and 'Dead Wrestlers' won't be the best recreation you've heard, but it might just be one of the most authentic. There are no telltale signs that this is from 2013, they've captured the style, production and vibe perfectly. If you're in the UK it might remind you of The Evening Session when it was presented by Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley.

This post-grunge, college-rock sound is one they stick rigidly to, and there's no reason why they shouldn't, it is after all, the whole point. Consistency is something that seems to come easily and we can't pick a bad track on the album; it has a default setting of "above average", however this does come at the expense of diversity, something which won't matter at all if this is the sound you're seeking, in fact it could be seen as a bonus. A few tracks to look out for? The title-track is a winner, the chugging buzz of 'Things Will Get Weird' is another. Opening track 'Stupid Kids' or 'Big Gulp' could almost have been classics had they been released 20 years ago. So basically you know what you're getting with Life Partner's latest album, and whether it be for nostalgia or for those who don't remember this sound the first time round, it's worth giving spin.



Life Partner's website

Buy the album





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