Fcukers - Ö
Origin: NYC
#TastingNotes: fred again.., LCD Soundsystem, Everything But the Girl
The full length debut out this week on Ninja Tune from our indie sleaze heroes picks up where the Baggy$$ EP left off: reductive, addictive beats, meaningless lyrics built for texture and phonetics, and a lazy DIY punk aesthetic, and it's a banger from start to finish.
I was initially curious about what kind of influence acclaimed producer Kenny Beats might have and whether the don't-overthink-it magic would be preserved. It's clear he understood the assignment, though: while perhaps a bit more diverse in beat selection than the EP, with the occasional half-time breakdown or midtempo headbobber (see Shake It Up), Ö is still the high energy bullshit I expected. I Like it Like That, if you want to party come over to my house, L.U.C.K.Y., beatback: these are the hypnotic bass-heavy booty shakers I'm here for.
Lonely and Getaway feel like a bit of an evolution in their approach, and I wonder if it portents things to come: Shanny has an actual verse's worth of lyrics on Lonely, and the song structures have recognizable A and B sections. This is not clever songwriting, let's be clear. But it proves there could be more here than short shelf life club bangers. Getaway in particular kind of reminds me of 90s-era Lamb, with it's jungle-adjacent breaks and acoustic bass. It's the most accomplished track the duo has released to date, building layers of bleeps and bloops over a breakbeat groove that we have maybe heard a million times before, but there's a reason we still love it.
The brief 30min album closes with Feel the Real, a Stereo MCs throwback with strings, a bit of sitar, and synth whooses. It's groovy and chill and just kind of stops, like cutting the engine after arriving home from the show.
I dig this record. It gives the band more of a unique sonic identity while remaining firmly entrenched in their influences, and hints at possibilities to come. Put it on, turn it up, and if you own a couch push it out of the way.
https://fcukers.bandcamp.com/album/-
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