Allergic to Heat is so basic in its overall scope, one wonders why it sounds so... new. Night Wounds aren't the first outfit to bolster a guitar-bass-drums setup with a saxophone, nor are they the first act to tweak their vocals until they sound like megaphone rants. So what gives them that extra mojo?
Nothing. Allergic to Heat has been done to death in the past, but it's been a while since I've heard such a scrappy take on post-punk. Groups like Black Eyes and Sweep The Leg Johnny, who both dissolved years ago, were always good for a heavy blow-out or two, and Liars and These Are Powers have been keeping the lines busy in the meantime, but they need help answering indie's desperate calls for dank, dark rock.
Enter Night Wounds. They're a little timid at this point -- one gets the feeling they haven't yet truly unleashed their beasts -- but they have strength in all the right places. They can play in time or flop around like the fish in that Faith No More video, and their guitars are understated when they need to be and bombastic when the arrangements need a shake-up. You can really hear the entire Night Wounds apparatus click together on "Ex Best Friend," but elsewhere they grind their gears and prove they're not ready for prime time just yet.
I'm willing to wait.
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