by Kris Handel
Pass the Loofah is the sophomore album from beat oriented Oakland post-punk band Naked Roommate, delivering on detached creations and playfully poking at life’s absurd moments in a way that’s very easy to love. Amber Sermeno's vocals are cool and mostly dry as she blankly intones put downs and witty wordplay over funky bass lines to get you moving and an amalgam of new wave blurts and squeals. At times Naked Roommate recall mid-period New Order with a helping dose of the sassiness of Gossip, incorporating lithe and minimal instrumentation to create occasionally otherworldly and bleak atmospheres. The band are quite gifted when it comes to working with tight skronky and clanging guitars over elastic rhythms as they are cutting closer to the dancefloor with wheezing synths and programming from Mig Zamora and Andy Jordan.
"Fight Flight" is a jumpy bit of artsy new-wave. Synths squiggle between short horn bursts and Sermeno's removed vocals break into the bubbling bass of Alejandra Alcala and shuffling programmed drums. The chorus shows the band at full power, blending the synths and horns together as tight little guitar lines punctuate the slightly psych haze on this propulsive dance punk tune. "Successful Friend" has Jordan taking the spoken lead vocals and his popping bass pushes the groove forward while Geoff Saba and Jeanne Oss’ horns intertwine with the Zamora’s sharp guitar. Jordan and Sermeno sharply sneer and chant as the insistent bassline is ever present between electronics that flit and fire at unexpected moments that add to the overlapping chaos.
"Bus" has Sermeno reflecting whimsically on the unique experiences and characters that inhabit and rely on public transit that so relatable to inner city life. Synths surge around pulsing rhythms and sharp programming as she marvels at the movement passing by through the widows and an odd yet unspoken connection between passengers. "Reasons Why" brings a slower pace to the record as Sermeno dreamily coos "That's why.../I love you" over bouncing bass and sax as this intoxicating influence of Stereolab is mixed with a bit 80's electro funk-pop. Zamora delivers clamoring guitar lines as programmed snares snap and R&B horn blurts explode into an overwhelming aural collage before slowly fading away.
Naked Roommate truly thrive when they push their creativity to the extreme (for example the staticy burbling ode to their pets "Ducky and Viv" or massively entertainging "Yob"), allowing Sermeno and Jordan to truly embrace their playful aesthetic. The band manage to mix a melange of styles into a wild and jittery trip through the post-punk playbook, all the while staying tied to finding the deepest groove possible. There is a little more polish at hand here, leading to a brighter and more in your face sound than on their debut while still holding onto the simmering burn of that record. If you are looking for an arty and dryly humorous record you can break out some dance moves to, Naked Roommate truly encourage you to fully embrace that impulse and release all that energy while facilitating the fulfillment of your desires with Pass the Loofah.