You Can Be My Wave

Squid Pisser's My Tadpole Legion is exactly what I want in a scuzzy, grindy, hardcore punk record. Like that HIRS Collective record, the freaky debut from Los Angeles weirdos Tommy Meehan (Deaf Club) and Seth Carolina has two strengths. The first is its brevity. As fun and as throttling as this music can be, it does have a tendency to become pretty fatiguing to listen to. Therefore, with nine tracks clocking in at nineteen minutes, My Tadpole Legion has just enough time to make its gross statement, and get out before it wears out its welcome. This music can also run into the pitfalls of becoming monotonous and 'one-note.' That's why this album's second strength is its diversity, which is really thanks to its impressive guest list and the unique directions they lead the band into.

This record kicks off with perhaps its most disgusting track Liquified Remains. It's perhaps the closest anyone has come to sounding like The Locust with all the colourful modulation and stuttering effects on the guitars. Meehan's vocals (I presume) have this alien gurgle to them that makes them pretty stand out as well. The following track sees our first vocal guest, the exciting return of Meghan O'Neil who I haven't heard since she fronted PUNCH. I honestly don't think anyone sounds as pissed as O'Neil and it's a pleasure to hear her on record again (reminder to check out her last band Super Unison when I get the chance). Her track, titled Violence Forever, is some more blistering grindcore with even more guitar modulation that shoots lasers all over the place. However, this track also has these really cathartic chorus sections that feature a really melodic chord progression. A thoughtful reprieve from all the guitar chaos makes this album two-for-two.

On Marching With Trash, things get really weird. Vocal guest Arrow DeWilde delivers this really odd, bratty, vocal fry over a fairly straightforward downtempo punk tune with fuzzy, bit-crushed guitars. Weird, but not as weird as when it unexpectedly bursts into a chaotic, warp-speed mess with baby-fied screams that slowly decompose into something truly nauseating. I'm not sure I'm completely on board with it but it does get points for reaching a new, putrid low. We climb out of the filth and into The Everlasting Bloat which features vocals from Nekrogoblikon's Nicky Calonne. This track has got some real speedy riffs, as well as some satisfying breakdowns. And Caloone sounds great, really showing us his expansive set of talents, constantly shifting his technique to achieve sounds that range anywhere between the sound of the tiniest goblin and the most hulking of trolls.

The following three tracks are very special as they feature a drummer I really admire, John Clardy, known for his very intricate playing in my favourite band Tera Melos. I must say, Clardy played these tracks like it was the last time he was going to do it. I wish I could say that's a cute simile, but it was a real thought running through his head as he revealed that he received a cancer diagnosis just a week prior to recording these songs. I'm thankful Clardy was able to track these songs before being sidelined, and it appears that he has made a recovery and is back to playing drums which is incredible news. These songs are also special as Clardy gets to appear with some of his heroes, Yako of Melt-Banana and Joseph K. Karam of The Locust. The two tracks in question are about as crazy as you would expect given the parties involved, however, their approaches are entirely different. The Yako assisted cut, the title track, is another Locust-esque track with a ton of dizzying riffs and gross sounds. Vibe Monster on the other hand is this acid-soaked, experimental odyssey that gives a good idea of what the act of decaying would sound like. Karam's sluggish vocals are lazily double tracked, not bothering to sync up the pacing of the lines, resulting in a fairly eerie performance.

The album doesn't have the strongest of endings as I don't find Fuck Your Preacher to be all that interesting or intense enough to justify its incredibly brief run time of thirty-two seconds. I'm similarly disinterested in Lord of the Frog which appears to just be a messy collage of random recorded snippets found across the album. I can take or leave these two tracks. The rest of this record is great fun though. There's excellent playing, production, and Kurt Ballou nailed the mix (as always). So far, 2023 is a great year for weirdo, eccentric, and experimental punk music, and I'm totally here for it. Add this one to the list.