Polaroids Of Androids

Hira Hira
We. Are. All. Xray. Pricks. No. Talent. Fuck. Off.

Hardcore punk, screamo punk, post-apocalyptic punk rage — or whatever this genre of music is called — primarily relies on a heavy use of contrast. This contrast isn't solely limited to just quiet vs loud, but is also obtained through a variety of conflicting moods, varying guitar techniques and contrasting vocal styles. Within my personal record collection, now defunct bands such as At The Drive-In and Million Dead are the stand out masters of this style. Every shrill of pain was counter-punched with a genuine touch of emotion. Every steady pounding rhythmic moment was jolted off course by a series of sloppy guitar screeches. It's unpredictable, often a little messy and tied together by a unique sense of self-belief and genuine punk attitude.

Sydney's Hira Hira possess a lot of these same characteristics. This EP, the group's debut offering, is a highly consistent 12 minutes of smash-and-run, slightly 'mathy', angst driven punk music. The group's genuine hunger and passion is thrown at the listener through the continual musical shift between brutal grandeur and minimal sparseness. The vocals follow suit, transforming from dying screams of emotion to spoken word verses sharply and without warning. It's loose and free spirited with it's attitude, yet also regimented in the rhythm patterns it follows as a loose guide.

Like all good music of this genre, there is also the immediate 'ball swelling' that occurs upon listening. Yep, even the ladies will feel somewhat like a fairly tough cunt and/or wilderbeast as the continual hardcore slap in the face hardens you the eff up. But what makes this EP a success is that once this original ear fisting concludes there is still plenty left for those who want to dive in a little deeper. The lyrics and the overwhelming sense of believability in which they are delivered adds a lot of weight. Even with this EP only containing six songs (none of which run for longer than 3 minutes) there is a feeling that the band have thrown everything at the listener. There is an abundance of talent here and more importantly a genuine 'hunger', equating to a debut offering that is literally overflowing with ideas and quality music.

Words by Jonny

July 29, 2009 @ 04:52 · Record Reviews · Hira Hira   3 comments