Formed way back in the mists of time (1994), Haystack should be castigated as one of the laziest bands in Christendom (other religions are available to be used in this catchall statement to describe scale before you start flinging your flaming self-righteous flaming torches at my metaphoric tower of prose). So, this either suggests a laisse fait attitude to their musical endeavours or, that the trios’ day jobs have taken them out of circulation for good reasons OR, it’s something else entirely. Formed by Ulf Cederlund (Entombed, Disfear, Murder Squad) on guitar and vocal duties alongside Jonas Lundberg on drums (The Maggots, A-Bombs) and bassist Patrik Thorngren (Neutra, Alpha Safari) this Swedish noise rock trio have finally reunited to put plectrum onto string but, the question is, can the proverbial needle (hereby representing some decent songs) be found within the constructs on this body of work (in this case the metaphorical haystack…bear with me) which represents only their third album since their inception?
It must be said that, for once, the usual public relations twaddle that unfortunately accompanies most new releases, contrives to do a decent job of painting the picture for fans new to the Haystack party. The usual ‘for fans of’ suggestions, are usually soooooo far off the mark, as to be at best amusing and at worst, deliberately obfuscating. However, one band that is mentioned, in the shape of power/fuzz rock trio, Dinosaur Jnr., is on point in regards to the music, even if Haystack are a country mile (continent, if truth be told) away in terms of song writing nuances comparatively to Mascis et al.
Its all-mid-paced jangling guitars, discordant and sloppy, as cymbals buzz, slip and crash as the bass burbles, waxes, and wains to create a decent yet slightly confused sound. The pace slackens and then speeds up, not sounding unlike their fellow countrymen Refused with a side order of Thumbnail and Girls vs. Boys. It is, at times, an enjoyable hullabaloo, which may sound like its damming them with faint praise, but despite this, the core issue lies with the overall quality of songs, which varies considerably wildly from a quality perspective, veering here and there like a blind, pissed up penguin on the downhill slope of an iceberg during a hurricane. There are sporadic moments sprinkled throughout the album where Haystack contrive to sound like Drives Like Jehu (‘Wastemakers’) but, these moments are unfortunately spread too thinly and are overwhelmed, by songs that are generic at best and boring and derivative at worst (‘Burning Eye’, ‘Winter’). It’s the sound of a band who have greatness within their grasp but contrive to take the easier path signposted mundane.
You feel the band are doing their best but ultimately, they fall short. It’s a question of consistency because as you journey through this collection of songs, you must wade through three to four ‘ok’ tracks to get to a good or even great one…ad nauseum. It’s like listening to a Strokes cover band playing their third set of the night, having embraced slight NWOBHM tendencies (not in a good way) to a disinterested crowd of seven people on the cusp of a bad gin hangover.
In summary, this album contains one or two good songs that are gently suffocated by a pillow constructed of gelatinous and sticky banality. I would (and it’s decidedly tempting) refer you back good reader, to a previous needle and haystack reference I dropped in at the start of this review, in reference to trying to sift through the detritus that makes up the majority of this album and search for the veritable needle (in this case the one or two good to great songs on offer here) but that would be a cheap and lazy (not to mention, overly convoluted as well as being extraordinarily self-indulgent) way to end this review, so I’ll resist the temptation.
(5.5/10 Nick Griffiths)
Leave a Reply