photo: Harriet Fraser-Barbour
No Wave, lo-fi, out of tune, wonky - Australian trio BENT tried very hard to scare away potential listeners with their latest album Snakes and Shapes. They failed. They are like a bunch of kittens trying to destroy their immediate surroundings. No need to get mad, but pick 'em up and hug 'em and praise 'em for this collection of quirky songs that sound like The Slits met up with Pere Ubu and decided to look at the Deerhoof and X-Ray Spex handbooks for further inspiration.
Their lack of respect for established musical conventions is like a breath of fresh of air. Obsessing about bricks - there are three songs about them on the album - coping with unruly Mattress Springs or describing the ordeal of being a Broke Robber can be a lot of fun (and far more interesting than yet another love song). BENT honor the old punk adage that you can make a statement - and a record - with just a few chords, plenty of determination and quite a bit of attitude.
BENT:
Heidi Cutlack: bass, vocals
Skye McNicol: drums
Glen Schenau: guitar
Snakes and Shapes is released thru Emotional Response (USA - digital, CD) and Moontown Records (Australia - digital, vinyl).
Tracks:- Bad Beds
- Squares and Spheres
- Dingo Boy
- Both Better
- Payphone Texts
- Mattress Springs
- Brick Brick Backyard Bit
- Brick Brick
- All My Parts
- Semicircles
- Broke Robber
- Swimming In Your House
- Brix / It's Raining
- Snake Shape Games
