The First Punic War
"Unicorn"
7"
Carthage Vs Rome Records
Genre: experimental
punk, lo-fi
J. Warden
PO Box 41162
Des Moines IA
50311
May 2006 |
Wow. A lot has changed since I reviewed The First Punic War's
last seven-inch (the Candle EP), a lo-fi pop treasure from the
bowels of DIY obscurity. This time around he's eschewed the accessible
pop aesthetic in favour of raw punk energy. Right off the bat,
"Unicorn" charges ahead in a flurry of pummelling rhythms, overdriven
guitar, mild electronics, and furious yelling. The production values
are fittingly low, and the track succeeds because of it. Sure, this
sort of thing is rather simplistic, but isn't that where the charm
lies? On the flipside we get more; simply-titled "Punk Rock" is a
strange, rhythm-only electronic blip while "Simon the Sailor" drives
the point home with punk music and bizarre, desperate vocals. This is
too experimental to be considered punk, but the aesthetic is
definitely there... Unicorn is a neat artifact from the
First Punic War camp.
MP3s available at
www.thefirstpunicwar.com
76%
Fun Fact: The First
Punic War's next record, the Canada Day 7", is set to be
released on July 1, 2006 (Canada Day for those not in the know)...
preorders will be accepted up until that date, when 100 copies will be
released. Copies will be mailed out on that day only, after which the
remainder will be destroyed. All to ensure a unique musical
experience.
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 3 tracks, distributed by
the label, released 2006] |
