I'm all about dichotomy, baby. Unlike the lameness of centrist politics, so much of the value in music occurs as artists operate amid contrasting ideas, biases, goals, allegiances, etc. There's heaps of great bands locked in this "struggle," but I really love what Trash Knife have done with 2023’s Weird Daze. The Philadelphia quintet would have you believe they're grimy, perpetually un-serious rockers — the sleazy, snarling "Party Friends" and horror punk-adjacent "Zombies" all but confirm said connotations. But there's heap more signs that Trash Knife are wholly multifaceted and joyously uneven. "No Time" boils down the madness of modern life in a deceptively simple refrain, proving the band’s overall level of savviness and thoughtfulness. "60's Psycho" is an interesting flirtation with pop — punks have always embraced catchy hooks and flippant subject matter, but here it plays out all the more celebratory and still cerebral. "L.i.L.," meanwhile, has a weird country tinge that's as much a sharp turn as it is wholly strategic for this achey ballad. And "No One Cares" is dripping in irony, as the band lean into catchy nihilism as this neat-o dissection of punk's inherent interest in both the joy of community and the isolation of the singular person. Do I think Trash Knife know that they're exploring these incongruent ideas and concepts? Maybe. If they are, then it just shows an intellect and curiosity that makes this heaps more than the hyper-grimy punk pouring into our ears. And if they're wholly unaware, then maybe that just speaks to how endearing and evocative the band truly are, and how notions of dichotomy (i.e., the messiness of life and embracing controlled chaos) are baked firmly into art. Either way, Trash Knife do a mighty job of giving room for ideas and sounds to be thoughtful and asinine; staticky and wholly clear; vibrant and morose. Through that process of affirming both everything and nothing (only that which is truly vital and shiny), the band embrace life for what it really is and share it with us at the volume and potency it demands. That approach is what makes Weird Daze as much a great punk rock album as a chronicle of what happens when we match the endless pageantry of life’s textured insanity. And unlike actual dichotomy, I'm not at all split on this LP's true prowess.
7.6/10: A kinetic experience across the emotional and musical spectrum.
LIYL: The Undead, Black Lips, and hanging out at a quarry.
Get The Album Here.