LP Review: Wronger by Pigs

The main headline and precursor for Brooklyn band Pigs has been that guitarist Dave Curran is a member of Unsane, but that will soon become a secondary side-note, as the music on offer on Wronger, the band’s second record, is of such high quality Noise that anything but the music becomes a pointless distraction.

The relentless drone of opener ‘A Great Blight’ misleads you into thinking this is going to be an alienating record, but it’s far from it, well, as far as Noise allows you to be “comfortable” within its grasp. ‘The Life In Pink’ begins things truly as the gentle guitar twiddling soon gives way to crushing riffs and distorted shouts, mixing an undertone of stoner vibes alongside music which teeters on the edge of sludge tendencies without fully indulging. One thing Pigs do with their music is that they somehow make it catchy as hell. ‘Bet It All On Black’ is abrasive, lightning fast, covered in coarse vocals, mixing styles of punk, noise, and good ol’ rock’n’roll, interspersed with screams and end-of-world riffs, but damn if it’s not toe-tappingly danceable and dangerous all at the same time.

Wronger sees Pigs come out of the other side, confirmed as superb song-writers and excellent musicians, crafting a record which has lit up the Noise scene for 2015. ‘Amateur Hour in Dick City’ is razor sharp heavy, with riffs carrying the song through its short, but joyous life span, almost ending in a cathartic experience. ‘Mope’ takes a more alienating turn, not letting the listener wallow in their melodies for too long, before allowing glimpses of their song-writing soul again with ‘Make Sure To Forget’. Pigs don’t deserve to simply be labelled with just the ‘Noise’ tag (although admittedly we have for this piece) as their sound carries so much more than that; it’s one which explores many genres, states of mind, and party states, but Wronger is a record which shows the band to be excellent musicians, making the album one to be savoured upon repeat listens. Perhaps a record which is the highlight of the member’s careers so far?

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