Reviews: Final tricklers
Target/Sharp Pins/Lemonheads/Brainbombs/Arson/Surface Of The Earth
Now that we’re almost in the final quarter of 2026, I’m finally ready to shed the noose that 2025 has become. A real varied batch (Lemonheads siddled up against Brainbombs?), but a solid lot at that. I’d love to hit ya with a long and witty intro to wrap up my final missive on the greatness of music in the year 2025, but I just want to get this out to y’all. Soon, reviews of a more timely nature, and hopefully non-record reviews as well.
Target - The Target Demonstrations (Self Released)
Ugly music out of Milwaukee featuring the heads that brought you Cousins. No shoegazing on this one. Guitar, bass synth, drums, and vocals making this slurry. I could see people leaning on a Youth Attack comparison, and if that’s the case, we’re probably looking towards the SQRM neck of the woods. Honestly way more interesting than anything YA has done in a while. Mysterious and artsy without the pretention, y’all know I love that sorta thing.
Sharp Pins - Balloon Balloon Balloon (Perennial Death)
Oh to have the youthful energy to simply let songs ooze freely. Kai Slater is on a tear these last few years. With Sharp Pins and Lifeguard going full speed, there’s no shortage of Slater’s songcraft in the marketplace. And you’ll hear no complaints escaping me. Not a duffer in the bunch, I tell ya. Sharp Pins have the jangle genius of a young Robert Pollard cranking out hits for Slumberland. 60’s mega-jangle meets 90’s 4-track enthusiasm. You like the rawer Elephant 6 stuff? How about Honey Radar? Violent Change? Then this’ll getcha. We’re not even gonna get into the tracks. There’s 21 (ok, 18 and 3 interludes) of ‘em on here and that seems like an immense load, but give it a listen. All essential.
The Lemonheads - Love Chant (Fire Records)
Last Fall, as any true Lemonhead-head will attest to, I was reading the newly released Evan Dando memoir. A solidly enjoyable read that somehow made me love one of my favorite bands more. There seemed to be a redemption arc beaming from the pages, and as a longtime fan, I welcomed it with open arms. Of course, then Dando (allegedly) sent out an unsolicited video that put a large dent in my theory. Love Chant came out alongside the book, the first new Lemonheads album in just under 20 years. The singles didn’t quite click on their own. The obvious truth is that the album sounds unlike any of previous Lemonheads records. There’s quite a grip of heavy riffage throughout, which is odd but works surprisingly well. Regardless, the unmistakable Dando songcraft shines bright. Opener “58 Second Song” fakes you out with the Townes Van Zandt style acoustic intro that quickly give way to a driving mid-tempo jaunt that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on Car Button Cloth. By mid-album you start to get the hang of the intro fake outs. “Togetherness Is All I’m After” gives us 20 seconds of hard rock riffin’ and then moves into a Lovey-era styled swoon. There’s something about “Love Chant” that says cruising down the highway with the sun blazing and the windows down. It’s a rocker that mostly alternates two parts and could easily dissolve into indulgence but instead ends at the right moment. Closer “Roky” wouldn’t have sounded out of place on Roky Erickson’s The Evil One. Love Chant isn’t a return to form so much as it’s a new feather in Dando’s cap, proving that the well hasn’t run dry.
The Lemonheads - Lemonheads In Dreamland (Fire Records)
I haven’t heard this one since none of the tracks are streaming seemingly anywhere. Look, it’s the Lemonheads, so I’m confident of the quality resting in the grooves. You get a radio version of “If I could Talk I’d Tell You,” as well as a version recorded in the kitchen of the studio. The rest of the tracklist is filled out an alternate version of “Break Me” and covers of Big Star, Velvet Underground, Television Personalities, Merle Haggard, Neil Young, Louvin Brothers, The Frogs, and Smudge. I’m a shoo-in for this stuff.
Brainbombs - Die (Riot Season/Fuzzed Atrocities)
It just occurred to me that 2025 marks 40 years of Brainbombs! That’s a lot of years and a ton of records to be wringing out this premise. There was definitely a saturation point for this stuff, but then they went and tweaked the formula a bit. Dare I say, the Souvenirs/Inferno/Cold Case trilogy takes their noise rock into a more atmospheric and pastoral realm. Am I a total loon? There’s more to ‘em than ham fisted two note riffs accompanied by serial killer themed ravings. And like a true dolt, I didn’t gobble up copies as they trickled out. Die, on the other hand, I was on top of. And much to my dismay, even with multiple pressings on multiple continents, I couldn’t scare up a single copy. I can see why it, this thing rips! Throughout their previous nine full lengths, I don’t remember anything going this hard. It’s like they took a decade to space out a bit and decided that it was time to rein it in and hammer the shit out of some Stooge-ian riffs. “Long Liz” has an early-Swans riff buried in the slurry. This record makes me want to start a label so I can be the American arm of the Brainbombs Empire, so I won’t miss out if there’s another one (joke’s on me, there is!). Enough whining. There is absolutely no logical reason why a band four decades into their existence would put out an essential addition to their catalog. I’d say it’s incomprehensible, but I’m listening now and this is a true scorcher. Somehow, the Brainbombs career trajectory is THE successful model. This world makes no fucking sense.
Arson - Burning Future (General Speech)
Does it bother anyone else when a band refers to themselves as Raw Punk or Noise Not Music and it’s just thin ass only high end guitars coupled with a shoelace headband over standard d-beat hardcore? Well, Arson’s for the true believers. Bee-in-your-bonnet guitar hum, soupy bass churn, tornado of drums, and vocals that might be singing words but might just be a roaring growl. Throw on some headphones and see if you can make it through without ralphing. This shit’ll make you go cross-eyed. Essential listening.
Surface Of The Earth - In Colour (Knotwilg)
Late to the game on these folks. It took a 2022 reissue of their self titled debut to catch my ear. Somehow, in the halcyon days of the blog era, when I was fully gorging on everything New Zealand had to offer, they never fell into my lap. Damn shame too, because this woulda lit up the same fires as The Dead C or Birchville Cat Motel. Ambient droning feedback that sounds like it was born and bred in a dank basement. Do they have basements in New Zealand? Never thought about that before. 30 years on and they’re still making the most of a minimal sound. 10 tracks, all in the 3-5 minute range. Perfectly timed rumblings to lose your self/mind in.