Formats
BING094 - LP
600197009413BING094CD - CD
600197009420
Details
Led by singer / songwriter / guitarist Leah Wellbaum, Brooklyn’s Slothrust is a rock band of musicians from the jazz / blues tradition who sound nothing like jazz musicians playing rock. Beneath the know-how, their aesthetic is punk as fuck. How perfect, right? You get the zap without the Zappa, not a lot of Yes but a load of Oh Hell Yeah! Slothrust’s musicianship sneaks up on you, because the first thing that grabs you is how insanely catchy these songs are. Then you realize that it all comes down to the fact that they play fearlessly and full of tenacity. Rock ’n’ roll. Formed amid the ashes of Wellbaum’s solo project Slothbox (“The box rusted,” she explains…obvs!), Slothrust was forged with drummer Will Gorin and bassist Kyle Bann. With the added dynamics of a tight, powerful and funky rhythm section, Slothrust is a forceful trio as unsettling and capricious as their name. Of Course You Do is the band’s debut for Ba Da Bing and follows up to their 2012 self-released full-length, Feels Your Pain. With her deep, charismatic vocals, most reminiscent of Nico with the edge of Isaac Brock circa ’97, Wellbaum sings about alienation, awkwardness and absurdity, and damn if she doesn’t make it all sound kind of fun. “Crockpot” is a dark yet funny and irreverent take on the struggle for human connection in a society built to make us feel isolated; “Juice” is a paean to realizing the limits of self-improvement. She evokes feeling while sounding despondent, all the while with catchy melodies— pulling off Stephen Malkmus’ Pavement-era feats of writing and delivery. On top of the solid writing and rhythm section, her playing style ranges from simple eloquence to hard-edged, aggressive guitar solos.