by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Some records were made during the pandemic because there wasn’t anything better to do. Some of those records can be left back in the lockdown days, but others hit upon something special. For Wristwatch, the duo of Bobby Hussy and Ty Spatz (both members of The Hussy and Cave Curse, among others), they struck gold with their self-titled debut, a post-punk record that’s heavily programmed while retaining a raw and delightfully weird aura. The band haven’t been able to keep it in print due to demand and while another pressing is on the way, the duo are ready with it’s follow-up, the aptly titled, II. Due out on July 7th via No Coast (Thee Oh Sees, Red Mass, Whippets) and Big Neck Records (Proud Parents, Science Man, The Ar-Kaics), the record retains what made their debut a stand-out while upping the rock ‘n’ roll scuzz and the lived in intensity of the project.
While the band have expanded into a quartet for performances, Wristwatch remain a duo in the studio, with programmed drums that sound damn near human. After sharing album opener “Rules” last month, the band offer another glimpse into the record with “Fix,” a psychedelic punk ripper, full of corrosive leads and harsh frayed melodies. With a beat that absolutely slams on the snare, there’s a sweeping insistence to the song, built on chunky power chords darting up and down. Bobby Hussy adds a great vocal dynamic, barking out the verses with punk fury before the howling Wipers like melody of the hooks. The whole thing hauls like a freight truck, the driver hopped up on caffeine pills, and barreling toward combustion. The heaviness if offset by the groove, the entire thing scorched with tight primal force.