by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Over the last decade, the impenetrable scuzz and hiss of Charlotte, North Carolina's Paint Fumes has subsided. Their earliest days were in time with the reckless nature of the garage punk revival, and the Fumes played it loose, fast, and dangerous. It was the sound of substance assisted mayhem, simple chord progressions drowned in raw recordings and layer after layer of feedback. They band jangled with a sonic disgust, captured the hearts of leather clad garage punks around the country. Following a string of releases for Slovenly, the band moved on to Get Hip Recordings, expanded their line-up and opting for a cleaner sound while retaining all of their swaggering energy. Set to release their fourth full length, Real Romancer, on April 14th via Dig! Records (The Whiffs, The Ar-Kaics, Josephine Network) and Bachelor Records (Fastbacks, Aborted Tortoise, Chuzpe), the band continue to reshape and refine their sound, moving firmly into the world of garage glam and muscular power-pop.
Following the release of early singles “Book of Love” and “Starting Over,” the band share another look into the pomp and pop sleaze of their upcoming album via new single “Frontline”. The track is Paint Fumes laying into their self proclaimed “panic attack punk,” built on propulsive tempos and rollicking riffs. It’s a big ol’ rock song, blasting out the garage and directly into power-pop hooks so sticky you’re cemented by the first chorus. The roaring momentum of the track is a stand-out on a record filled with bright moments and catchy turns, the whole thing churns with a relative ease but not without some primal intensity and a giddy guitar solo. Elijah Von Cramon’s vocals are raspy but sweet, entirely melodic as he sings about “falling in line” and seemingly straighten out for the one he loves on “cloud nine”.