On the dance-punk group's eighth studio album, !!! fully embody the grit, sweat, and chaos of 90's dance culture without sounding too out of place on today's dance floor. Another nonstop party, Wallop is a sharp, unhinged career highlight.
For a group that came out of the New York dance-punk scene around the same time as LCD Soundsystem or The Rapture, !!! (pronounced as 'Chk Chk Chk') never really exploded despite being just as visceral and exciting as the other two. They never became a household name, never got the universal acclaim. I think, and what the band probably thinks as well, is who cares? !!! have been a band for over 20 years at this point, providing head-buzzing grooves on album after album after album. Wallop, the band's eighth studio album, is no exception. It's definitely more of a boldly pop effort this time around, blending 90's dance culture with modern pop tropes. The songs themselves have the grit, sweat, and chaos of a darkened night club dance floor, each having its own style (a variety similar to the last year's U.S. Girls release). Although this was my first real introduction to !!!, I instantly got what the band is all about and was left wanting to hear it again and again and again.
The majority of the songs aren't too different if you're familiar with their sound. They are throbbing with loud beat-driven tunes with some surprising beat changes and progression here and there. "Let It Change U," the album's opening track, pretty much sums up their sound. "Couldn't Have Known" is a huge highlight with its quirky guitar strums, boyish vocals, and bouncy instrumental. The beat change-up in the latter part of the song is pretty spectacular with some really great harmonies layered onto it. "Serbia Drums" is arguably the band's most radio-ready song to date. The chugging guitar, steady drums, pretty twinkling effects and cleanly sung delivery from Nic Offer make it a very fun single, but it's suspiciously clean compared to the others. Some of my least favorite tracks are the ones that are either not as fun or end up being tedious and annoying, such as the pulsating "Off the Grid" or the over-the-top vocals on "UR Paranoid" and "Rhythm of the Gravity." Although the interludes aren't exactly necessary, they're nice passages that provide a nice continuation of the songs.
"Slow Motion," a personal favorite, is a great cool down in the middle of the record. It's darker, moodier and has a great backing vocals from Glasser's Cameron Mesirow (who is so awesomely talented by the way). The harmonies are rich and it has one of the stickiest hooks on the album. "$50 Million" has the general roughness and bite (and creepiness) that's to be expected. "Domino" is a satisfyingly different change of pace and has very pretty hypnotic electronic synths and passages. "This Is the Door" is slick, vintage dance pop with great vocals from co-vocalist Meah Pace and is a perfect closer. It also has Nic Offer's best and cleanly-sung deliveries on the album.
Overall, Wallop is an excellent frenzy of great dance-punk and pop music. Yes, it's not as crazy and chaotic as some of their past material may be, but the performances and songs themselves are sharper than ever. There's a great variety of songs here, meaning any of these can be your true personal favorite. It's well produced, well written, and has plenty of twists and turns, making it such a pleasant return. The guest features, ranging from members of Liars to Glasser to Sink Ya Teeth, are well rounded and do not overpower Offer and Pace's vocals at all. Wallop is an unhinged, sweaty dance party that's nonstop, daring anyone to try not to move while listening to it. For being a late-career album, it has some of the band's best songs in years, making it a sharp career highlight. !!! haven't lost their edge and don't plan on losing it anytime soon.
My Rating: 8 / 10
Favorite Songs: "Couldn't Have Known," "Slow Motion," "This Is the Door," "Serbia Drums"
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