Handle
formed out of the ashes of
DUDS
, but their debut album,
In Threes
, suggests they're arguably a more interesting prospect than that well-loved Manchester band. Some shades of
' lurching, lanky take on post-punk remain, and
are just as committed to rhythms that are so angular that they should topple over, but don't. However,
are much more economical; where
was a dance-punk septet, this band is a trio that makes the most of each member's skills. Even more so than with their previous group, bassist/vocalist
Giulio Erasmus
and drummer
Nirvana Heire
are a rhythm section with an intuitive understanding of each other -- something that's vital for music that teeters as close to the edge of chaos as
does. They provide the perfect backdrop for
's not-so-secret weapon, vocalist/keyboardist
Leo Hermitt
. Combined with
Erasmus
' and
Heire
's jerry-rigged rhythms,
Hermitt
's stabbing, strafing keyboards and commanding vocals -- which alternate between wild-eyed questioning and a haughtiness that echoes the
Delta 5
and
the Slits
-- keep listeners off guard throughout
' portraits of disorientation.
bookends the album with its most challenging, and perhaps most elemental, songs: "Vocal Exercise" gets
off to a startling start with a cacophony of feral vocals, rubbery bass, and a lopsided rhythm that sounds like it's being bashed out on pots and pans. The band ushers the album out with "Describe," where
's spoken word monologue and
' bass hover unnervingly above a jittery beat that falls somewhere between a samba rhythm and a malfunctioning machine. In between these songs,
spend their time on
proving that as distinctive as their sound is, it's never limited. Their version of dance-punk is more danceable, and more subversive, than many of their contemporaries'. On "Step by Step,"
dances on the line between forceful and ominous, while the agogo-heavy "Life's Work" is a showcase not just for
's affinity for Latin percussion but for
's skill at imbuing a single phrase ("my intentions were good!") with a story's worth of meaning.
also have a flair for shambling noise pop that seems catchy despite itself, as on the bracing, surreal "Punctured Time," the gleefully sneering "Rubbernecks," and "Mhmm," which evokes the lumbering brilliance of the
A Frames
with its dive-bombing vocals and bass. They're downright charming on "Coagulate," a joyously atonal celebration of a crush that feels akin to the rough poetry of
the Raincoats
.
' compact, addictive songs make for an exciting debut and prove that in
's hands, post-punk still has the ability to surprise. ~ Heather Phares