Bilge Pump
http://www.gringorecords.com

styles: messy punk, post-punk
others: Gang of Four, Erase Errata

Let Me Breathe
Gringo, 2004
rating: 1.5/5
reviewer: tamec


Bilge Pump have a pretty bad name. Their artwork and "aesthetic" seems to revolve around being "dirty" or "messy." Their music is a lo-fi mess of shambolic, distorted guitar and devil-may-care surly punker vocals. There are 17 songs on this album and I can't remember how a single one goes. This band is millionth one to cite Gang of Four as an influence, and they're helped out by being from the same city, Leeds, as the Gang were. Although the band's record label claims that the Pump are "Arguably the most exciting band in the UK right now!" this argument can be swiftly defeated. While I tend to choose Noise over Nice and angry, even inscrutable grunge-fun over more self-indulgent crybaby wankery, Bilge Pump's concept is simply too low, their gameplan too rehashed. But maybe there's nothing wrong with a little dirty, messy (if unremarkable) post-punk. On second thought, Erase Errata suck and so does Bilge Pump. Maybe they're good live?