by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
In the years since the dissolution of Beth Israel, one of Austin’s fractured punk standouts at the turn of the last decade, Zack Claxton has remained busy. Relocating to Philadelphia, he’s started a new with Webb Chapel, a project that continues his knack for building, breaking, and reshaping songs in one fluid swoop. Last year was a productive one for Claxton, releasing four Webb Chapel records in the span of a year, including his first for Strange Mono, the label known for short run releases with 100% of the proceeds donated to a charity of the artist’s choosing. That record was as good a place to start as any, a window into the ever shifting patchwork psych of Webb Chapel, triumphantly lo-fi but undeniably focused, a wash of experimentation both bleak and warped. After another self-released record last November, Webb Chapel returns to Strange Mono for SPEEDING, due out March 21st, a new album of originals and a batch of Mary Goes Round and Acid Freek covers. If there was any doubt, Claxton puts his own spin on the songs, staying true to the originals but filtering in his own processed scuzz.
“Mary Sleeps Alone” is one of the Mary Goes Round covers, a faithful reimagining of the late 80’s French post-punk band. The song bounces on a programmed rhythm and a bed of eerie synths, as Webb Chapel shift away from the bombastic production into something more homemade, a basement goth interpretation that wanders right into the fog, a permanent haze blankets the song. There’s a great deal of reverence for the source material on the song and the general aesthetic remains in place, bred in the shadows with a mysterious energy.
All proceeds for the album are being donated to PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society), a non-profit organization dedicated to saving Philadelphia’s homeless and at-risk pets.