Review Summary: (for when you start working in a cubicle and realize that nothing's worth it and need something to scream haphazardly along with on the drive home)
Moderation is by no means a virtue that the boys of Ape Up! possess. Indeed, the sonic shitstorm that is
Kemosabe, their first official release as members of the Count Your Lucky Stars label, showcases four dudes with dwindling concern for the consequences of tomorrow. Hyperbolic ultimata aside, Ape Up! make an awful lot of noise on
Kemosabe, channeling the vim and vigor of adolescent angst into nine ear-blasting tracks, and giving us a sure contender for 2012's finest punk record. And let me just go ahead right now and comment on the gayness of the preceding paragraph's attempt at sounding convincing.
Even in refusing to hold anything back on
Kemosabe, Ape Up! still manage to keep their songs crisp, condensed, and surprisingly focused. As masters of the sub three-minute track craft, these Boston locals understand the significance of making every musical moment count, frequently showcasing their ability to waste zero time on the record. 'Nothing Serious' pounds one's inner forehead with the tenacity of an afternoon hangover, while a track like 'Drainbow' highlights a band with some big ideas in their past, merely making room for what's to come in the future. Release your inner headbanger with 'When I Was the Good Guy', but save some room to scream along to the title track's ludicrously catchy chorus. All in all,
Kemosabe splits the log of life into two ambiguously lopsided pieces before concluding another one of my misdirected metaphors.
The fact that
Kemosabe is the first non-demo release from Ape Up! speaks absolute wonders for the band's ability to pinpoint and stick to a sound unabashedly, throwing awkward experimentation to the wind to make way for unadulterated melodic passion.
Kemosabe is the sort of record that bleeds itself out; the self-induced, sonically charged blood-letting with which a band ends a career with neither regret nor moderation. Yet this is only the beginning for Ape Up! (a fact that we can all observe with glossy, thunderstruck glazes), so let's all remember that we're gonna die someday.
