Album Review: Palma Violets - 180

Imperfections riddle this album like splattering paint on an otherwise spotless wall. Mistimed introductions and hits, off-key singing and accidental notes all come out of the woodwork at some point in these tracks, and it is brilliant. There's a time and a place for perfection and this record is most certainly not it. In a largely pristine, fine-tuned environment, it is wonderfully refreshing to come across such disregard for pedantic production measures. Palma Violets half-yell their way through garage rock anthems that would bestir the likes of Strummer and Ramone (you know the one I'm talking about) themselves.

Loose-skinned drums pair with heavily distorted, twangy guitars and the occasional organ patch while the bass just thumps along underneath. Plenty of room is established for vocalist Sam Fryer's words to wail and wretch and shimmer their way through distorted speakers. However, this record isn't just for the punkers. Palma Violets manage to break away from their classic punk rock roots with sweet melodies and their own rustic, beaten-out brand of pop writing. Fryer's vocals really come through in the slower numbers, resonating low and haunting, somewhere between Nick Cave and Alex Turner.

Listeners who devote themselves to hearing out the entire album are reward with a hidden track, and it's certainly a fun one. This debut is one of the strongest to break through to a wider audience in recent times, and is well worth a listen.