Post-American

MSPAINT

Post-American, the debut from Mississippi band MSPAINT, has really impressed me with one of the more unique blending of genres I've heard in recent memory. I've heard them be labeled as a hardcore band due to Deedee's shouting vocals, other times a synth-punk band because it has a clear punk aesthetic as well as a synth/keyboard player. However, those labels feel kind of reductionist. To be honest, I don't know what to call it as MSPAINT is really difficult to pin into a genre box. Yes, Deedee's vocals are hardcore-esque, but he also spits his radical politics and positive messaging with a great sense of rhythm and flow. Couple that with the creative, confident, and groovy drum beats provided by Quinn and you start to get the sense that MSPAINT has many hip-hop sensibilities. The euphoric, ethereal, and sci-fi qualities in the synths, however, are very reminiscent of the new-wave punk spearheaded by Gary Numan and Tubeway Army. The gnarly, distorted, pitch-shifted bass sounds that often create thick walls of sound, and the odd synthetic percussion trigger or a 'prepared' snare drum provide a bit of an industrial and shoegaze angle. You see, MSPAINT is many things, but no sound is dominant enough to tip in their favour. The band masterfully balances all these different elements into a truly unique style that is exciting, blood-pumping, and just plain good.

On top of their unique sound, the band demonstrates some incredible songwriting. Nearly every tune here has some element that begs me to come back to it. Information and the title track have really catchy, angular bass riffs that are super saturated in fuzz. Think It Through and Hardwired have these tremendously aggressive vocal hooks that are very much on the level of Ride's contributions to some of Death Grips' best ear-worms. Just to reiterate, I find Quinn's drumming to be incredibly creative and tasteful throughout this record. Some of his highlights include: his sped up funk breakbeat on the album's opener, the rather unorthodox and highly syncopated pattern in Hardwired, the patience and the space he brings to the final hellish moments of Decapitated Reality, the metallic drum loop that propels Post-American, and I can go on and on.

Nick on synth also has many great moments, often providing more of a melodic approach that can really cut the tension brought by the other, more aggressive performers. I love the droning and bending solo he delivers on Hardwired, as well as the chord progression on the following track Delete It. His melody that falls over crashing drums and walls of distorted bass towards the end of Decapitated Reality is really cathartic, especially after such a tumultuous song. While on that subject, sometimes the band can really throw you for a loop progression wise. Decapitated Reality begins as a blazing hardcore punk tune, but later transitions into a fairly slow and doomy second half. Free From the Sun has a very dramatic and unexpected tempo change at the end that feels like everything is moving in slow motion. It's rare to find a dull moment (if any) on this record. The performances, the sounds, the structure, it's all truly impressive.

If I were to levy a criticism, I could say that Deedee's vocals could be a little more animated with his shouts as he can come across a little one-note. There is the odd time where he will perform a little more aggressively, like at the end of Hardwired or for the odd hardcore ad-lib, but it does feel like he is stuck in one gear for 90% of the record. Thankfully, we do have two tracks with guest features: Ian Shelton (Militarie Gun) brings a more distorted holler to Delete It, and Pierce Jordan (Soul Glo) delivers his signature manic and scathing shrieks on Decapitated Reality. Both songs stick out to me as highlights and I think the vocal features can take a decent chunk of credit for that. Lastly, while I do still like the track, I find the synth melody on Titan of Hope to get a little repetitive.

Otherwise, Post-American is a damn good record. I know I haven't listened to everything under the sun, but this blend of hardcore, new-wave, hip-hop, industrial, and various other alternative genres you could care to throw in there, felt really fresh to me. If you know me, I tend to give a lot of credit to music that I feel I haven't experienced before, and MSPAINT are definitely benefactors of that. More than just the unique sound though, the band's debut has so many great ideas and provides every single band member with ample time in the spotlight. And while the lyrics may not be as poignant or as poetic as say a Zach de la Rocha, the band's politics are sound, the positive pep talks are appreciated, and the calls for unity are desperately needed during this time of great strife brought on by our political systems (I'm including Canada here too because y'all better believe we aren't immune). I can guarantee you I will continue to jam this throughout the year and I would not be surprised if this makes an appearance on my year-end lists.