PENNY DEATH - KIND OF LIKE A HOME REVIEW

Penny Death, a musical band brought to you, the consumer, by the vaugely philanthropic efforts of the ubiquitous Memory Corp, are a real odd duck of a band. Their debut full length, "Kind of Like A Home" is hot (or at least warm) on the heels of a five-song EP from back in Spring 2022. "Kind of Like A Home" is loaded with the austere snark and self-aware cries for aid, just like the EP, but the production is much stronger and more varied. This strict upgrade is especially evident with the inclusion of a handfull of new versions of songs from the EP, with more brazen tones and more varied vocal performances - Producer Mike Koh really took the band's sound up a notch.

"Kind Of Like A Home " on Bandcamp

Singer Corey Spencer, as usual, elevates his sometimes grotesque lyrics by pairing them with ephemeral lamentations, resulting in a record that's in and out of intimacy. It's a lyricism whose seething, abrasive nature is as neurotic and concerning as it is invigorating, like a five car pile-up you can't look away from. Bassist Barry Loving and drummer Tyler Spencer push the envelope on Corey's more melodious passages, raising the blood pressure of the record and keeping things feeling thrashy from the get-go. 

There's still lots of variation on top of the brick-solid core sound, though. Shitlung is a seething sludge of a song. Hail to the Moon is like three Ramones songs in a trenchcoat pretending to be a slow jam. Flak Jacket's robotic opening and reverberating lead guitars stop abruptly to make space for a lyrical nuke and a real flick-twist stab of a guitar solo. 

Bezos, On Ice! is undoubtedly the most chaotic, bitter song on the record. Loving's bass work really shines, holding things down, sandwiched between a thick layer of noisy guitars and a wash of stumbling drums. As usual, all three bandmates lock in underneath a strong vocal line for just a moment to shove a punk rock chorus down your throat, before splattering off in all directions again. 

Welcome Home takes the record out with a whimper and not a bang, whipping the band's focus from post-punk bitterness to the blood-soaked authenticity, the likes of which you'd expect from The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle. It's still emotional, a tad indelicate, hot off the press in a way, just like the rest of the album, but the presentation puts a whole new spin on things. It's a worthy title track.

"Kind Of Like A Home" is probably my favorite record that's come out this year. It's more that worth your time if you enjoy Uranium Club, The White Stripes, Mudhoney, or if you want to see a certain evil billionaire's head on a spike. Give it a listen or the ever-generous Memory Corp may discontinue my differed lease of my thoughts.