When I went to Brooklyn's Northside Festival in 2014, one of the bands I'd resolved to see was Sharkmuffin. I don't exactly remember what got them on my radar back then, but I've always really enjoyed their 1097 EP. Anyway, I was pretty blown away by their live show. The combination of noise and pop is right in my wheelhouse, and frontwoman Tarra Thiessen manages to simultaneously project slackery nonchalance and riotous rage.
Today, the band release their full-length debut, Chartreuse. The core duo of guitarist / vocalist Thiessen and bassist Natalie Kirch are joined on the record by legendary Hole / Death Valley Girls / Upset drummer Patty Schemel.
Note: Schemel is the most prominent in a long line (12 and counting) of Sharkmuffin drummers. In a nice touch, each Sharkmuffin drummer -- past and present -- gets a small portrait on Alex Citrin's Chartreuse cover art.
The album kicks off with the title track. Thiessen's vocals sound like they're coming from an echo-chamber located somewhere in the movie Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, and the whole track conjures images of go-go boots and people dancing the monkey.
Things get bigger and more psychedelic during the chorus on "Mondays." Schemel's drumming shines here. "Straight Lines" lumbers along on a slow build, Thiessen lowering her register a little bit to keep with the sluggish, dreamy feel and Kirch contributing some subtle backing vocals.
One of the standouts for me is the surfy "Broken Teeth." Again, the song sounds like it's coming from another, cooler if more lo-fi era. Kirch's bass keeps the riff going throughout the song as Thiessen does a bit of her own thing on guitar before coming back to the main theme.
Single "First Date" details a horrible Tinder date in just over one frenetic minute. "Tampons Are for Sluts," on the other hand, is the set's longest track coming in at a whopping 3 minutes. It opens with a bass riff reminiscent of the Breeders' "Cannonball" and alternates between a loping, lazy verse and a manic and noisy chorus.
"I Called You from the Moon" closes things out with a final burst of energy. Thiessen puts everything into her vocal while Schemel and Kirch form a pummeling rhythm section. The song, and the record, end with the high-pitched squeal of Thiessen's guitar and an emphatic exclamation point from the band.
Chartreuse comes in at 21 minutes. Almost all of the songs revolve around some type of repeated theme, making them perfectly suited to head-bobbing and (*gasp*) dancing. The band riff off of these themes taking songs into surf, pop, punk, and outer space from time to time. The way in which -- just like during their live performances -- Sharkmuffin alternate between moments of lackadaisical stonerdom and manic energy keeps things interesting throughout.
If you like noise, if you like pop, if you like jumping around and doing the monkey while screaming a big "Fuck You!" to that shitty first date you had a while back, you'll love this.
You've got three chances to experience all of that live this weekend as Sharkmuffin celebrate the release of Chartreuse. On Friday, 8/7, they're at Brooklyn's Shea Stadium with Lost Boy ?, Charlie Bliss, BOYTOY, and Fruit & Flowers. On Sunday, 8/9, Sharkmuffin play Killkenny's in Newark with Overlake, Lost Boy ?, Spowder, and Thee Trebleros.
For those of us in my neck of the woods, Sharkmuffin play a free release show at Asbury Park Yacht Club on Saturday, 8/8 with Lost Boy ? and garage rockers The Von Mons.
Chartreuse is out now as a joint release between State Capital Records and Asbury's own Little Dickman Records.
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