by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
There’s a lot to be said about Portland, Maine’s Divorce Cop, but it’s probably best to just listen… and then discuss later. The band’s debut EP, What?, clocks in at a lean six minutes and five tracks, an economical approach to noise punk that shines in its brevity. Divorce Cop, comprised of Brock Ginther (Royal Blood), Chris Gervais (Toothbrush), and Anthony Bitetti (Great Western Plain), each bring a little something of their own to the ramshackle recordings, songs that are fuzzed out and lo-fi but with a great deal of ever present heart and infectious non-hooks. It’s an impressive introduction to a band that seems to find a delicate balance between dissonance noise and Guided By Voices melodic bliss.
Playing it loose and gratingly raw, “Owen” digs in with a big stoner bass groove and sludgy disdain as vocals howl over it all. It’s over nearly as soon as it begins, but the impression has been made and Divorce Cop’s demented slacker charm is in full swing. Tracks like “Pet” and “Duck Sauce” sound to just be holding themselves together at the seems, and it’s particular lack of finesse that has us so excited about this band. It’s reckless and catchy, the recipe for any great DIY band’s beginnings. We hope this is just the first of much more to come.