Review Summary: Simple noise.
Back when I first began attempting to write my own lyrics, I came up with a song called "Bring the Noise". The idea behind it was that it would be a noise rock inspired track with me muttering the words “bring the noise I am ready to learn” while the rest of the band broke out into a cacophony of, well, noise. Unsurprisingly enough, the song was never created. Yet, despite the cheesiness of the lyrics, those very words ring true when listening to Weed’s 2013 debut
Deserve. Not only does the band bring the noise, they do it so well that other bands of the genre should take note and learn from this spectacular release.
Despite what their name may suggest, the band themselves don’t partake in the recreational activity. This comes as a huge surprise to me mostly because the music sounds a lot like a loud and hazy smoke session filled with soaring melodies and dream inspired imagery. In fact, if I were to pick a band that sounded what the drug itself feels like, Weed would be one of my top choices. This isn’t to say that the band relies solely on the dreamy, cloudy aspect that comes with smoking. No, this is more like an angst driven, emotional high where you’re able to see through the fog and breakthrough into the realm of hard-hitting punk and blissful vocal melodies. You could smoke to this album, but you would have to be prepared to not just sit back and relax as it will throw you into its whirlwind of noise and emotion.
Some of the best moments on here are the cathartic climaxes that appear on some songs due to both the vocal performance and the melodic lead guitar lines. On opener ‘Heal’ lead singer Will Anderson yells the simple but poignant chorus of “Stop somewhere, heal, heal”. This is coupled with a driving riff that is very reminiscent of Car Seat Headrest’s ‘Destroyed By Hippie Powers’ outro, yet, on ‘Heal’ the distortion is turned up to 10 and the desperate yells that accompany it makes for a huge, impressive chorus. It’s actually amazing how these climaxes bloom out of utter chaos and noise as it’s not like the band ever tones it down to dynamically produce these apexes. See ‘Silent Partner’ for example, a song that stays at the same volume level, yet its climax is more powerful than most due to the intense yet catchy Nothing-inspired riff that ends up stealing the spotlight.
If I had to criticize the album for something I would say that it is almost too consistent in both the quality of the songs and how they sound. Sure, the album ranges from shoegaze-y punk to alternative noise rock, even throwing in a little bit of grunge and post-punk influences into the mix as seen with the track ‘Gun Shy’. Yet, I almost wish the band would’ve found a way to recreate the beauty of their highlights like ‘Hallowed Out’s’ perfect combination of lofty vocal and guitar melodies that blend together for one of the album’s most euphoric moments. Not every song on here finds that sweet spot, unfortunately, and it’s most evidently missing from the album’s closer ‘Granted’. The band has found their own sound, something that should be praised especially since it’s their first try at a full length. What they need to do now is dig deeper into finding beauty within the darkness of their own noise, something they’ve shown in glimpses yet haven’t fully embraced. Finding that elegance amidst the dissonant turmoil is the most exciting thing a band within this genre can do, and when they showcase that delicacy it’s truly a shiver-inducing experience. A flower among the weeds.
