by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Baltimore’s Baklavaa are back in action with Sleep Running, their first new record in four years. Due out on February 28th via 20/20 Records (vinyl) and Crass Lips Records (tapes), the band’s weirdo noise is a bit of post-everything, from punk and no-wave, to post-hardcore and noise rock. It’s all swirled together into a mutant hybrid that flails and contorts wildly but with direction and intention. The record is a wild and chaotic ride with experimentation matched by impractical melodies and an askew sensibility on piecing it all together.
The record’s first single, “Dsnylnd,” is the album’s tangled centerpiece, guitars and general distorted noise ringing like the end of the world is imminent. The rhythm is s tornado of quick manipulated hits and moments of blast beat fury, all detached and overwhelming, creating a frenetic backbone for the swarming guitars to seep into. Its a dense wall of sound that somehow still allows for a cohesive vocal melody, a mix of warped harmonies and spoken word that sticks closely to the bass line as everything else paints impressionistically.