by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Legend has it that Whippets’ self-titled debut EP, released via Goodbye Boozy during the thick of 2022’s summer, sold out completely in less than a week. The Wisconsin based trio - comprised of Bobby Hussy (The Hussy, Cave Curse, Wristwatch) Tyler Spatz (Cave Curse, Wristwatch), and Hart Alan Miller (Tenement) - are no strangers to the world of DIY punk, but with their latest project they’re blurring the lines and creating their own boundaries, taking equal parts sinewy post-punk and corrosive artistic grunge, and then flipping it all on its head. With a new self-titled full length on the way in June via No Coast Records (Steel Pole Bath Tub, Wristwatch, Red Mass), the band are roaring and raging, creating songs that balance grit and hooks, caustic tonality and relentless energy.
“Toes,” the record’s first single and opening track, a track that’s prodding but undeniably catchy. With elements that recall both The Blind Shake and Dead Moon, there’s a tension based resonance but Whippets opt to play it on the more minimal side. The guitars and bass veer in close company as they push and pull between crunchy riffs and ominous grooves. Hussy’s vocals have a nasal pinch to it but with plenty of bite, a minor howl that burns with an intensity, exploring lyrics that seem to deal with addiction and finding that next fix.