Seafood : When Do We Start Fighting...
(Infectious)

'When Do We Start Fighting...', recorded earlier this year at Mission Sound Studios in New York, sees UK's Seafood combine the more accessible qualities of Pavement, Sonic Youth and Sebadoh to create euphoric, wailing riffs, melodic treats and sonic truths as deliberate, monstrous and dangerous as waves crashing on a deserted beach.

On this, their second album, Seafood acknowledge the power of subtlety and reveal a band who write astonishing songs and make menacing noise. The single 'Splinter' is a blistering testimony to energy and anger, rattling through its clamoring refrain and pure pop wallop with bold self confidence. Opener 'Cloaking', in reference to Big Brother and paranoia, is typical of Seafood's new found self-assurance and is balanced by the sheer tenderness of lead singer David Line's cunningly underdstated lyrics. Line is joined by Mary Lorson (ex Madder Rose) who guest vocals on 'What May Be The Oldest', a beautifully sad song about ending a relationship from a man's point of view. 'Similar Assasins' denounces lack of community in the UK music biz, while 'Pleasurehead', according to Line "is a love song for my dearest. At first, I thought it was going to be a big Sonic Youth rip-off song, but it ended up being a big gay love song!"

Squalling sonic carnage. This album is fucking brilliant and is not to be missed.

Also recommended: Seafood's first mini-lp 'Messenger In The Camp'.

The Hives: Veni Vidi Vicious
(Burning Heart Records 2000)

The Hives declare guerre nucleaire. Sweden's notorious trash rock band The Hives borrows from 50's rock and roll, 60's garage and 70's punk to mold a sound that is 100% Hives. Rooted firmly in the garage-punk genre and sounding very british invasion, lead singer Peter Almqvist pleads, jerks,revels and goads his band onto the minimalist working of genius. 'Main Offender' , an instant garage classic screaches "Why me? I'm on my way. I get around. But I'm not all too sure about what I do. I feel I've got to stop a second just to think it thru. And so I stop! I'm on my way. Yeah I get around. Yeah I thought it all over and now I spit it out and when I spit on those that I care less about I'm on my way. This is my main offender.", while 'Die All Right' is a diatribe on corporate control. Career opportunities is the focus of 'Supply and Demand' as Almqvist relates "My boss he's a probable bore. Put me hands and knees on scrubable floor. Do it right receive the lions share bliss. Know all too well just where that ration is. Learned a lot about the company dough. Learned less about receiving it though. Saw how it came to those who always sat pretty. Don't need it. Supply and demand."

One of the more refreshing albums to appear in a long while and definitely worth the wait.