Normal Man - City Livin' - LP (2019)

Labels: At War With False Noise – Viral Age
Review by: Alex Deller

So Normal Man are still a thing. Who knew? Anyone would think they’d be long dead by now, but no … it was just a coma. They’re out of it now. And yet something”¦ is not right. Their eyes are cloudy. Their pulse is slow. And while neurons are firing, the connections are faltering like a fucked set of fairy lights blinking erratically on and off.



If you had the misfortune to hear their ‘That Joyless Vibe’ cassette you’ll be unsurprised to learn that the last decade hasn’t mellowed them: their slobbering dirge-punk is still an antagonistic mess of froth-mouth vocals and endlessly repetitive, eyetwitch-inducing riffing that puts you in mind of Kilslug, Drunk In Hell and visions of Samhain slowly drowning in a pool of lukewarm sick.



If anything’s changed it’s that the sound has been cleaned up a dab and a jaunty rock n’ roll vibe now pervades. These are not kindnesses, and, in fact, actually make things that much harder to deal with.



It’s a perfect accompaniment to a shit life on a shit island filled with shit people.



You get what you deserve, I guess.