Indie/alternative rock featuring Stephen Malkmus (Pavement, The Jicks), Matt Sweeney (Chavez, Superwolf), Jim White (Dirty Three), and Emmett Kelly (Cairo Gang, Ty Segal) The debut album from the supergroup Hard Quartet sounds like four guys having fun hanging out, sharing vocals, and performing together.
hard quartet cover art
Lots of their usual group scuzzy guitars, big riffs, and unconventional melodies. The songs range from avant-garde (steamrolling opener “Chrome Mess”) to early Buzzcocks-type power punk (Renegade), but most are cosmic and trippy, with beautiful Heel Highway contains drug references and at least one overt nod to marijuana. (“Stir the liquid hash to flash some colors”).
But the level of pop sensibilities and songwriting elevates the hard quartet far above stoner jam sessions. Killed By Death muses on life and mortality using old Motörhead song titles and gorgeously intertwined guitars. Hay has something of the sweetest, narcotic Velvet Underground, shape-shifting T. rex/Libertines-esque military boy action that speaks to the feelings of young soldiers (‘I Every aspect of it’s gone crazy/I feel lucky to be alive…Our training for modern warfare isn’t like a video game.”) Although there are occasional misfires (a meandering Thug Dynasty). , the guitar playing is great and the songs always delight and surprise. Rather than a cozy pat-on-the-back exercise, these veterans brought out the best in each other.
