You Can Be My Wave

With so many albums being released and attention being pulled in every which direction, it's understandable for a debut to slip through the cracks. When Lip Critic dropped Hex Dealer back in 2024, I gave it a few cursory listens, but nothing connected and the project faded into the background noise of the year. However, following a sustained wave of hype, I decided to revisit the New York quartet for their latest effort, Theft World. Immediately, the atmosphere felt different. The moment the accelerated dance beats and resonant bass synths of Two Lucks kicked in, I found a familiar foothold. It wasn't far off from the futuristic and ethereal brand of synth-punk found on MSPAINT's 2023 record; a project I held in high regard. As the album progressed, I began to pick up on a seedy, industrial aesthetic reminiscent of one of the most important musical acts of the 2010s, Death Grips. Whether I simply missed these nuances on their debut or Theft World represents a massive leap forward in execution is up for debate, but one thing is certain: I am now completely on board.

One of the first things that struck me about Theft World was the sheer command Bret Kaser has over the songs. He primarily raps charismatically with a number of different rhythmic cadences but he can also settle into a stoic croon that feels similar to Brendan Yates (Turnstile). Most surprisingly, however, is Kaser's ability to unleash these throaty, false-chord screams that are genuinely terrifying. This rabid energy is best felt on tracks like Two Lucks, Talon, and 200 Bottles of Eviction, all of which culminate in gnarly, industrial breakdowns that showcase Kaser at his most unhinged. Unfortunately, not every performance is a winning one though. Moments on the aforementioned Talon and Shoplifting feature some of Kaser's most awkward and obnoxious deliveries.

The production is also mostly impressive, but just like Kaser's vocals, there are occasional missteps. For the most part, the production is fairly lean, mostly consisting of a mix of live and synthetic percussion, and resonant basslines. It's enough to establish some pretty strong grooves on tracks like Two Lucks and Yard Sale (230 Take), the latter of which should get folks frenetically bobbing around like maniacs. There is the odd time where Lip Critic adds a few more details, and as a result, those tracks tend to stand out more. Charity Dinner, for example, is filled to the brim with sonic ear-candy: skittering digital artifacts, chipmunked vocal delays, and rousing synth lines that feel lifted from a Sonic the Hedgehog level. My Blush (Strength of the Critic) remains fairly lean, however, its rounded and reverberant percussion (which sounds like striking hollow PVC pipes) give it a unique, standout quality.

There are times where either the production is a little too minimal to stir up interest or the sounds miss the mark. Talon's main synth comes across like a low priority facility alarm that largely goes ignored, the type of sound that drones on before eventually being tuned out. Drumming With Izzy, as the title suggests, has a heavy percussion focus that gives the track a fairly primal energy. However, the other supporting instrumentation, mainly the choppy, buzzing synths, aren't really demanding my attention. The worst sound design offence appears on Legs In a Snare, where the band works in an obnoxious bit of noise that comes across more irritating than adrenaline raising.

While I'm coming away from Theft World feeling quite positive overall, there are a couple more small gripes I have that are getting in the way of me really loving this project. For one, a lot of these songs are missing that strong hook or riff that will take them to the next level. Jackpot is an example of where they get it right as they're able to tap into a hook game that rivals the viral power of Death Grips. The beginning of the track has this incredible collage of slot machine fanfares and it is later reprised upon Kaser's exclamation of 'Jackpot!'. It is easily the album's most satisfying moment. However, the band doesn't seem to understand the literal jackpot they've stumbled upon as they abandon this idea beyond the minute mark, leading the track to slowly fizzle out by the end. Had they extracted all the potential out of this earworm, the track would definitely have been considered as one of the best tracks of the year.

On the topic of unrealized potential, my last small complaint is that the drum arrangements don't make use of the two-drummer setup. One would think that having two drummers would allow the band to explore more complex and interesting rhythms, but based on what I'm hearing (and seeing in the band's live performances), Danny Eberle and Ilan Natter mostly play the same parts in tandem. There is some cool drum interplay on My Blush (Strength of the Critic) that proves they have the capacity to create intricate rhythms.

There's a lot of great things happening on Theft World, certainly enough to grab my attention more than Hex Dealer did. Still though, I think the band could've taken things further: brighter, more standout melodies, more intricate rhythms, and more undeniable hooks. Lip Critic may still be experiencing some growing pains as they figure out how to nail their unique brand of seedy synth-punk, but a handful of moments on this record prove that they are almost fully matured.