Lo-fi punk rock garage romance.
Anticipate what you will of an album that opens with “I remember the first time I saw you/ I knew you’d be important” but ends with “you find something you like/ and then you move on with your life.” Coming out of North Carolina to release their third full length album, Museum Mouth stand out from the crowd with frontman/drummer Karl Kuehn’s sexuality: the entire album is an ode to his love story with the titular Alex.
It’s refreshing to hear punk go in the line of emo-esque openness in their lyrics, particularly to grant open support to the queer community. The rise and fall of this romance is rooted in slightly distorted growling vocals, supported mostly by the beat.
While the guitar and bass sit on the sidelines and keep things simple, Kuehn uses his drumset to really bang every needed emphasis into his vocals, creating perfect punctuation to every woe and crush he expresses. So listen through “Handsome and Boring” (an amazing ode to Joyce Manor’s “Constant Headache,Û) fall for “Alex Impulse,” and ultimately end the album with some “Saltwater” tears- because you needed to be reminded of your last breakup.
RIYL: Spook Houses, Krill, Flashlights
Recommended: 1, 4, 5, 8, 11