Purling Hiss - Water on Mars

by Maarten Schiethart

published: 27 / 2 / 2013

Label: Drag City
Format: CD

First-rate combination of blues punk, glam and garage rock on latest album from Philadelphia-based band, Purling Hiss

Review

From the sewage catacombs of 2013 garage music come Purling Hiss, with nine refined songs. It is hot on the heels of Ty Segall's 'Twins' - last year's Drag City smash album and very much the one to compare 'Water on Mars' to. Hurling Piss, oops, Purling Hiss, flirt with sonic blues punk now and then, but keenly, kindly maintain their focus on garage rock. And on glam rock, and on glitter rock to start with: the opening track 'Lolita' owes as much to Marc Bolan as it does to the New York Dolls. Besides, should you be wondering what that tune is on 'Mercury Retrogade' that you're reminded of; it's 'Suspicious Minds'. Its little 'oo-ooh' chorus line, however, connects together Plastic Bertrand, Blur and Pavement before you realise that. By the third track 'Rat Race', Purling Hiss's singer and head honcho Mike Polizze's vocals have become as confident as Thurston Moore's, and as tongue-in-cheek as Stephen Malkmus' 'Dead Again' stands in between before 'She Calms Me Down' wins you over, in case you haven't already been. With a ton of tracks already under their belt, Purling Hiss have unleashed their best batch of songs with this album. This brew of 'Water on Mars' leaves you wanting to taste more. Long drinks preferably.