Sometimes music answers questions never asked – Noisepicker, the duo from the UK surely love to play Jeopardy’s (non-famous) round of “Strange answers in noise minor for ₤1000” with their sound. The answer is: Noisepicker. The question: “What would Mark Lanegan’s music sound like if it was less bluesy and more Noise?”
Blues. Noise. Punk. Those are the main musical ingredients of the sound of Noisepicker. Amazingly they create a sound that uses all of them and unites them under a brittle soundscape where they can get together without any trying to outshine the other. Every note seems to serve a superior, common thread and goal. That may partially be to entertain the audience but it also surely is to give the duo an outlet for those sounds that none of their other bands can provide. In the case of bassist/vocalist Harry Armstrong that is a feat upon itself, as he is part in several bands which all have a unique sound, reaching from Stoner Doom (Orange Goblin) to Jazz Rock (The Earls of Mars) and even to Death Metal (Decomposed). Interestingly you will not find many connections to any of these bands in Noisepicker and even though one might estimate a certain proximity to Orange Goblin, that would be wrong, for apart from the distortion both bands do not share anything sound-wise.
Now, this is Noisepicker’s second full-length and just like the first one, it is released via Exile on Mainstream Records, a more than fitting home for the duo. There is hardly a European label more rooted in 90s Alternative Music but not trying to get the same music as 30 years ago, but rather bands sharing a similar spirit – something that these two guys surely do. It becomes clear that they listened to their fair share of Unsane and Helmet, maybe even Bad Brains and something like Tad, but also to a combination of Neurosis, The God Machine and – yes – Lanegan. Harry’s vocals are so close to Lanegan that I had to double-check during the first track that this were not yet unreleased demos. Demos also because the songs are surely not perfect – by the way, no good band in this realm should aim for a flawless record but rather for a good, well-trimmed “emotionality”. Take ”Take the Flood” - where pretty Zeppelin’esque background vocals are met by pretty raw and punk’ish lead vocals. It’s that certain crispiness which makes Harry’s vocals so close to the cigarette-driven vocals Lanegan was so well known for. If I had to give a comparison from his oeuvre, I’d take Blues Funeral even though it has no real uptempo tracks. However, one should not dismiss the phrasing of the words because that is less Lanegan but a bit closer to a maniac like David Yow from the almighty Jesus Lizard. Does that make sense? Yow meets Lanegan? Maybe. Maybe not. In this case it does because the way that the vocals support the sometimes very angular, often pretty harsh riffs is best exemplified by the title track. Here the band goes through an uptempo thing connected to some very rough riffs and the triple vocal melodies are near-perfect (remember, perfection is nothing to aim for!) When the next track sounds like perfect Bar Jazz meeting the Gospel Tom Waits was preaching it seems like perfection, because where better to ruin your voice and simultaneously get so much praise for it? This is what Billy Joel’s ”Piano Man” should sound like if it was trying to paint a realistic picture. Highly interesting is the combination of final track and opener – if you have the record on repeat it sounds as though the bar session is over, then we hear the guitar looking for a melody over the (shit)chatter of the audience which is not even trying to pretend to be listening. But when the opener comes on again and we have a first start to the track, then somewhat of a reset and a second start, then all of a sudden the audience is all ears – when Harry sings his Blues laments again.
This record is best enjoyed without headphones but with the speakers on loud (not full-cranking mind you!) to get the power the music surely has. This is emotionally perfect music, not musically perfect. Listening carefully to their melodies will show you that this band should not go on another hiatus but should keep on giving us answers. Even if we did not ask any question.
