Filthy riffs, feedback, and ferocious vocals dominate the Pack A.D.’s third release, We Kill Computers. Moving away from the grimy blues of their previous releases, with the exception of slide-guitar fueled “The Slow Down,” most of these songs are brief, stripped-down bursts of garage rock designed for high volume. Made up of Maya Miller on drums and Becky Black on vocals and guitar, this Vancouver-based duo blazes no new musical trails; instead, they rely on angst and attitude to get their songs across and it works for them. Miller beats her snare and cymbals mercilessly while Black snarls wickedly and adds punchy power chords and fuzzy guitar lines to these high-energy rockers. The relatively melodic and dynamic “B.C. Is On Fire” and “They Know Me” offer some contrast to the minimalist attack highlighted on standouts like “Deer,” “Everyone Looks Like Everyone,” and “Big Anvil.” Mostly though We Kill Computers is big, loud, hook-filled fun.
- Deadly Snakes
- The New Values
- The Hunches
- Leopold and his Fiction
- The Dead Weather
- Black Pistol Fire