by Anna Smith (@thestereo.type)
In 2018, the creative forces behind SMIRK and Hot Load collaborated within the gritty Los Angeles post-punk underground to forge Cemento. Cemento’s catalog, though sparse, has been consistently steeped in a gothic sleaze that sits comfortably alongside their Iron Lung Records peers. Their newest project, Bad Dream Songs, closes out the year in an atmospheric, smoky haze over the West Coast underground.
Bad Dream Songs, best consumed over a cigarette against a brick wall, strongly evokes monochrome images of 1980s European goth clubs—Cemento knew exactly what they were reaching for here, and the record rarely strays from that vision. The intentionally grimy, reverb-drenched production hangs heavy over the release, while familiar, eerie keys and modes permeate its runtime, giving Bad Dream Songs an instantly recognizable and palpable gothicism.
Listeners are immediately thrown into a sweaty, concrete-walled goth club on the opener and single, “Better Days.” This track hits with an impactful wall of sound built on a muddy, at times harsh foundation that makes for a strong and effective introduction. Simple yet macabre guitar riffs and buried, Ian Curtis-adjacent, almost-spoken vocals establish the record’s tone and signal exactly what Cemento has in store.
Cemento refuses to run out of steam throughout Bad Dream Songs, and their choice of singles reflect a clear understanding of the record’s pacing. Just as tracks start to bleed together into a fuzzy, droning haze, Cemento keeps the momentum going with catchy instrumental hooks and subtle rhythmic quirks. This is executed especially well on the single and halfway point of the record, “Blindfire.” It’s a standout track, driven by a deliciously shreddy earworm of a guitar riff accented with masterful precision. “The Dark Garden” is another favorite, lightly sprinkled with modern pop-punk influences that contrast effectively against strong, angry lyrical themes of anti-capitalism. Cemento ties the bow neatly on Bad Dream Songs with its closing track, “Useless,” asking the question, “What's the use in looking forward?” Cemento rounds out this beauty of a record with the same nihilism and doomerism that it opened with.
There truly aren’t any misses on Bad Dream Songs. The weakest tracks are “Sirens” and “Full Control” because they don’t demand attention and get stuck in your head like the majority of this record does. “Weak” is a relative term here though, and even at its weakest, Bad Dream Songs is still really damn good.
Zoomers’ collective disillusionment and rage combined with their fascination with counterculture and aesthetics lends to the perfect landscape for fresh post-punk. Bad Dream Songs is for the angsty twenty-something spinning their parents’ dusty copies of Unknown Pleasuresand In the Flat Field. Perhaps Cemento will deservedly provide the backing tracks for the imminent gothic renaissance.