‘Killer Brain Waves’ has been a long time coming. Southend-On-Sea’s Asylums have been drip-feeding tracks for a while, ‘The Death of Television’ finding itself on the debut album two years after having introduced the band’s frantic blend of Britpop, grunge and DIY indie-punk. The slow game contradicts the immediacy of their sound; crushing social commentary delivered at breakneck speed.
Their sound, somewhere between an extroverted Dinosaur Pile-Up and a furious Ash, celebrates a feel all its own. The walls of guitar are relentless, driving forward vocalist Luck Branch’s distinctive 90s tinged vocals. Its retrospective nods seemingly deliberate, sat against their wary commentary on modernism and supported by their social media blackout in their early days. ‘Killer Brain Waves’ is a rejection of the perceived inevitabilities of innovation. The likes of ‘I’ve Seen your Face In A Music Magazine’ and ‘Monosyllabic Salvia’ in hark back to a passed heyday.
Asylums’ rejection of conformity spreads further through ‘Killer Brain Waves’ talk of political discontent. On ‘Necessary Appliances’ they sing of austerity, and the continued negative effects of questionable modernisation. The message sits on top of jarring walls of indie-fuzz, the frustration palpable and the rage all too real. The album’s pace elevates its exasperation.
‘Killer Brain Waves’ is the fear of yesterday’s future, wrapped up in a brilliantly restless package. As Branch expresses his irritation, it’s supported by clever and unusual melodies. ‘Killer Brain Waves’ is universal in its message, urgent in its sound, and downright brilliant. That, in their two years leading up to this, Asylums have reached such a broad spectrum of fans is unsurprising.
BEN TIPPLE