The ragged, DIY bedsit punk of the best duo in Wales is back. Every Single Muscle is the fifth album from The Bug Club. And it's a clattering racket of the best sort.
"Miss Wales 2012" kicks things off with a lot of lo-fi charm. It's a little rough, but in the right ways. "Make It Count" is one of a few numbers here where things are a little more melodic. The effect is as if Young Marble Giants covered The Fall back in the day. Still, tracks like "Look Like Me" have a little sweetness about them, thanks to Tilly's vocals. When Sam sings, there's a different kind of charm at work. Together, these two have a knack for cranking out short, punchy tunes with a lot of heart to them, and even ones with a little humor to them ("My Uncle Warren Drives a Passat").
Every Single Muscle doesn't change the formula of this duo much. The Bug Club still bash out a nice racket. The compositions are deceptively simple, but steeped in the kind of hooks that anchored things like peak GBV and even Noise Addict and Ben Lee stuff. There's a lot of life in this, and for fans of things like The Tubs, for example, it seems like this should be something pushed your way quickly.
Every Single Muscle by The Bug Club is out now via Sub Pop.