Slutever

Almost Famous

BY Alison LangPublished Feb 27, 2015

7
In the continuum of good bands with shitty names, Slutever rank pretty high near the top — just a hair above Mott the Hoople and Dogs Die in Hot Cars. With the release of their latest EP Almost Famous, the Philly-bred, L.A.-based duo thankfully rise above their self-described dumb moniker with wicked chops and snotty vibes to spare. Still only in their mid 20s, Nicole Snyder and Rachel Gagliardi (who share vocals/guitar/drum duties) are DIY wunderkinds; they've got a number of releases and tours to their name, and they also draw and design their hilarious, Beavis and Butthead-inspired album art. Almost Famous maintains Slutever's well-established goofy stoner ethos while also coming across as super polished and assured.
 
At only six songs, the EP (released in physical form as a tape) has a get-in-and-get-out philosophy that is efficient and super smart — always leave 'em wanting more! Album opener "Smother" smashes through the gate with crunchy riffs and an instantly singable vocal hook, reminding me of a popper version of a Pack A.D. song. The other songs on the EP are equally hooky: "Miss America" segues from dozy, almost stream-of-consciousness vocals into a sprawling chorus, "Maggot" takes a trashbag asshole to task in an addictively tuneful manner and "You Ask For It" is an instrumental grunge ripper that gives Ty Segall a run for his money.
 
There's a couple of vocal affectations that I could do without — in "Teen Mom," one of the girls sings the word "talk" with a weird Linda Richman-esque twang — and overall I get a sense that Slutever are working really hard at the brat thing, which can sometimes come across as a mite affected. It's not necessary; their natural snottiness comes across in spades, and musically speaking, they are more than capable of communicating their vibe through a deft command of tone and lyrical sensibility. This is a really fun tape that feels like it was gestated in the soupy fluids on the floor of fabled L.A. punk venue The Smell.
(Independent)

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