Pitchfork referred to Big Ups’ earlier output as “elemental punk” and I thought the vagueness of such a tag might be worth some reflection. Fortunately for Pitchfork, Big Ups seem to be moving towards more definable territory. “Goes Black” is pure post-hardcore; the late of NYU foursome channel Guy Piccioto’s lecture style singing as well as Fugazi’s general guitar recklessness. It’s rare to hear something so raw and to the point, as most anything these days deserving the qualifier “hardcore” is languid, washed out, and steeped in electronic decay. “Goes Black” is short and to the point with enough winking collegiate attitude to let you know that the members of Big Ups would probably rather buy you a beer than break one over your head.
