No Age - Snares Like a Haircut
by Maarten Schiethart
published: 26 / 3 / 2018

Label:
Drag City
Format: CD
intro
Fantastic psychedelic sonic punk rock on fourth album from acclaimed Los Angeles duo no Age
The Los Angeles duo with names which read like porn actors' names, Dean Spunt and Randy Randall, embark on a splatter and splash tombola of psychedelic sonic punk rock over the course of this mighty dozen songs. Just for once the accompanying press sheet helps out in finding words how to describe this "thin layer of smog over the songs, simmering sock gazing tunes, revved and displacing enormous amounts of sound soil." Sleazy and yet still rather neat garage fuzz rock defines the style of this latest LP. With quite the 'oomph' that Ty Segall and all of his cohorts have become known for over the past ten to fifteen years, it runs in mad and maniac style through its riff-laid songs. Sock-gazing rather than indeed shoe-gazing, No Age smell a wee bit different. They can be bewildering when you're in the mood for mayhem such as on 'Cruise Control'. Yet they are very "american", as this album is somewhat of an homage to driving a car. Which these days we civilised Europeans hardly do. Granted, 'Snares Like a Haircut' hoots and toots like a starving Diesel machine. "Suspended. Where should I go?", the chorus line to the fourth track on 'Drippy', sums up the loose anxiety of 'Snares like a Haircut'. All of the time I felt like I was listening to the Jesus and MC5 Chain on it. The title track meanders through a wonderland of dreamscape garage punk rock noise just before the music becomes genuinely adventurous on 'Tidal' - perhaps one of this year's best little blasts. 'Secret Swamp' is also one of this year's finest recorded songs.
Track Listing:-
1 Cruise Control2 Stuck In The Changer
3 Drippy
4 Send Me
5 Snares Like a Haircut
6 Tidal
7 Soft Collar Fad
8 Popper
9 Secret Swamp
10 Third Grave Rave
11 Squashed
12 Primitive Plus
Band Links:-
https://twitter.com/NoAgeLAhttps://www.facebook.com/noagela/
http://noagela.org/
https://www.songkick.com/artists/558733-no-age
Label Links:-
http://www.dragcity.com/https://twitter.com/dragcityrecords
https://www.facebook.com/dragcityrecords
interviews |
Interview (2008) |
![]() |
At a gig in London, Mark Rowland speaks to one-time Wives member and drummer and guitarist Dean Spunt about his new band No Age, and their second album ' Nouns' which has just been released on Sub Pop |
soundcloud
reviews |
Goons Be Gone (2020) |
![]() |
Young, loud and snotty punk harmonics on fourth album from genius Los Angeles noise rock duo No Age |
Nouns (2008) |
most viewed articles
current edition
Deb Googe and Cara Tivey - InterviewJack Frost - As Seen on TV
Nils Petter Molvaer - El Molino, Barcelona, 24/4/2025
John McKay - Interview
Editorial - July 2025
Robert Forster - Interview
When Rivers Meet - Waterfront, Norwich, 29/5/2025
Kruder and Dofmeister - Paral-lel 62, Barcelona, 27/4/2025
Skunk Anansie - Old Market, Brighton, 16/5/2025
Yardbirds - Des Plaines Theater, Des Plaines, 18/4/2025
most viewed reviews
current edition
John McKay - Sixes and #SevensDavey Woodward - Mumbo in the Jumbo
Vultures - Liz Kershaw Session 16.06.88
Billy Nomates - Metalhorse
HAIM - I Quit
Peter Doolan - I Am a Tree Rooted to the Spot and a Snake Moves Around Me,in a Circle
Pulp - More
Garbage - Let All That We Imagine Be The Light
Morcheeba - Escape The Chaos
Little Simz - Lotus
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart