1986, Everybody Is Whatever I Think They Are

1986, the branchild of Giorgio Angelini and Cully Symington isn’t a band to take lightly. Everybody Is Whatever I Think They Are is a weighty, emotional listen, burgeoning with a swampy and often melancholic grunge edge. It’s a potent listen, particularly on swerving rock and roll beasts like “Habit,” which clamour at the edge of sonic pugnacity. If 1986 were a hockey player, he’d be the one you’d love to have on your team but would dread having to face.

A swiftness of purpose emerges on “Undertow,” which gets as close to catchy as Whatever I Think… does. Still, throughout the cagey guitars and driving breakdowns, 1986 howls with meaty hooks and Angelini’s fierce growl. It’s those meaty hooks that stick out on Whatever I Think…, especially on the surprisingly uplifting “Black Spring.” At nine tracks, Whatever I Think… is a near perfect length, as the amped-up fuzz gets to be a little much at times. But for all the droning, meandering and slightly boring fuzz of a track like “Aunts Marching,” there’s an unmitigated urgency that abounds on “Jesus (Is On The Phone),” the kind of classic, 80’s fuzz-punk that likely lead to Angelini naming his band as he did.

By Joshua Kloke

[Rating: 2.5/5]