Album Review: Merchandise - A Corpse Wired For Sound

Surfing the post-punk sounds of the '80s, Merchandise leave bedroom recording behind and step into a proper studio to record their second album for 4AD.

A major step for any band, Merchandise now sound more polished and pop than the experimental punk to which we're accustomed. This album drifts across mid-tempo rockers that conjure a sense of alienation and isolation. The despair in Carson Cox's voice feels real as he hits the gravelly bottom register singing of failed relationships and doomed romance. Not what fans might be expecting but this album succeeds on its own terms.