Blood On The Wall

NYC art-punks Blood on the Wall continue their post-Sonic Youth rock assault with an aptly named sophomore album. Somehow livelier than their eclectic, self-titled debut, Awesomer is a mighty guitar record, with BOTW drawing upon varied crunchy punk influences. "Reunite on Ice” owes a great musical debt to Drive Like Jehu with Brad Shanks’ voice evoking Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore at once. Courtney Shanks steals the record back right away with the PJ Harvey-inspired "Heat From the Day.” "I’d Like to Take You Out Tonight” is a lovely song that sips from the same VU cup that Yo La Tengo have used for their backwash all these years. "Gone” is a storming, punk version of Sabbath’s "Paranoid,” while "Hey Hey” has all the hallmarks of early ’80s DC hardcore. "Mary Susan” is pretty much a by-the-numbers reworking of the Pixies’ "I Bleed.” The band’s humour and irreverence is evident in the squawk of "Get the Fuck Off My Cloud” and in the surprising ballad, "Going to Heaven.” BOTW may evoke some classic sounds but their brand of arty punk comes off vital and fresh.