Male Bonding: Nothing Hurts

Music Reviews Male Bonding
Male Bonding: Nothing Hurts

A (frenzied) night out with the boys

Male Bonding’s idea of, well, male bonding, is crowding together inside a dingy bar-turned-venue and head-bobbing the night away, permeating the air with the stench of sweat. The Dalston, London trio make this clear in Nothing Hurts, the band’s Sub Pop debut, as voices funnel through a sonic pipe and shrill electric guitar pierces right through the noise. The album coasts through 13 songs in just 29 minutes, making for a seemingly perfect setlist of distorted, high-energy punk.

But if Nothing Hurts is the setlist, then conclusion “Worst to Come” may be the encore the show could do without. Featuring former tourmates Vivian Girls, the acoustic number forces the band to tone down its act rather abruptly, and may prompt you to grab one more drink for the road. Still, considering the level of exertion required to endure the songs before it, this breather may also be necessary.

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