March 27, 2013
If the self-titled debut album from RITVALS, a supergroup of sorts featuring members of art-punks Muuy Biien and various other scrappy locals, consisted only of its second track, the derivative but irresistible "The Wave," sequenced over and over, it would be a terrific record.
RITVALS: RITVALS
Independent Release
But the band mucks it up with tracks like opener "I Don't Give a Fuck," which sounds like if the Black Lips and Andrew W.K. hung out with Lance Armstrong and overdosed on muscle juice. Indeed, RITVALS is mostly self-consciously dumb, all proto-punk-y three-chord energy and gang-vocal'ed party noise.
Except when it isn't: "Girl With No Face" finds the band moving on from New Bomb Turks-style snot-punk, delving instead into a delirious, new wave-y world. Follow-up track "Bed Bug Pandemonium" is borderline-brilliant, The Fall on downers. But soon enough the cock-rock returns, and though song titles like "Big Dumb Fucking Mountain" deliver laughs, their contents are far less memorable.
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