Following three jarring, tense EPs of post-punk staggered over the last two years, US Weekly’s self-titled debut pushes the Austin quartet’s existential wrestling into a broader, external scope observing the demise of American society and politics. The hallmarks of US Weekly’s sound fill the LP – jagged, needling guitar lines, and Chris Nordahl’s vocals swinging between despondent droning to hoarse shouting – while colliding with the addition of synthesizers and autoharps, which adds an out-of-this-world element to work rooted in cruel reality. “New Obsessions” details the onslaught of stalking and abuse women currently encounter both off- and online in strained, deconstructed, and melodic tones that finally devolve into a chaotic clash of pedals and noise. “US Weekly F.C.,” a two-minute alienesque meditation on sports, relies on melancholic, foreboding piano, then “Ad Experience” and the searing “American Piss” play overt societal takedowns. Closer “Percocet” employs a peculiar claustrophobia, the feeling of helplessness, backed into a corner and watching the madness unfold. US Weekly’s angular, crunchy punk sits on a foundation of pop and plays out like someone bashing their head repeatedly against a wall in equal parts desperation and exasperation.
This article appears in May 26 • 2017.