Album of the Week (11/10/2024)

Sludgy noise-rockers pip teenage punks to the crown

After my midweek dive into the world of sampling, breakbeats, and obscure British power-pop, it’s time to head back to the present with the return of the imaginatively named Album of the Week series.

Last week’s schedule was pretty stacked, but today’s batch is thankfully a little easier to digest. I initially identified a couple of potential highlights — both second albums from two very different rock quartets — but only one can wear the modest crown awarded to Album of the Week. Ultimately, the noisier of the two offerings rose to the top.

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HONORARY MENTION

The Linda Lindas
No Obligation

No Obligation is a worthy successor to 2022’s glorious debut, Growing Up. The Linda Lindas have delivered another accomplished fusion of bubble-gum pop and more abrasive punk, bursting with coming of age energy.

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ALBUM OF THE WEEK

Chat Pile
Cool World

Oklahoma City’s Chat Pile sit squarely at the heavier end of my listening spectrum. When I dip my toe into noisier music, I tend to enjoy post-hardcore, sludge-metal, and noise-rock the most. If I arrive in the realm of black or death metal, I know I’ve missed my stop. Cloakroom, Jesu, and Godflesh are particular favourites. After two cracking albums, I’ll be adding Chat Pile to that select group.

God’s Country, Chat Pile’s phenomenal debut, placed at #12 on No Ripcord’s Best Albums of 2022 list, hinting at the quartet’s ability to coax indie-rock hardened interlopers into their space. But nothing about that record — or Cool World for that matter — sounds watered down. Both are relentless, bleak, complex, oozing sophisticated aggression and pulverising talent.

Cool World is an uncompromising listen, but there’s ample material here capable of drawing in listeners from outside the noise-rock genre. Of the previously unreleased tracks, “Shame”, “Frownland” and “Milk of Human Kindness” all jump out on first listen, the latter reminding me a little of some of the sludgier moments on Nirvana’s seminal In Utero. A more raucous highlight, “No Way Out” closes the record with a roar, its opening chord landing with the ferocity of a liver shot for the ages.

Cool World is a brutal collection, but its raw power demonstrates just how invigorating the process of exploring the peripheries of our tastes can be. A worthy album of the week.

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If you enjoy Cool World please considering buying the record to support the band.

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