Antarctica

On their self-titled debut album in 2017, Flat Worms sounded like a band playing fast, loud, and fuzzy garage punk just for the hell of it. They werent exactly kidding, but given the resumes of the musicians on board (guitarist and leader Will Ivy has played with Dream Boys, Wet Illustrated, and Bridez, bassist Tim Hellman was in Thee Oh Sees, and drummer Justin Sullivan is a member of Babies), they were clearly capable of something more sophisticated, though they also sounded like they were having a blast. Three years later, the second full-length effort from Flat Worms, Antarctica, is the work of a band still playing the same brand of straightforward garage-leaning punk rock, but one thats taking it a bit more seriously. On Antarctica, Flat Worms sound tighter and better focused, and they have a greater sense of purpose and direction; theres a bit less fuzz and more bark in the guitar tone, especially in the bent blues figures of The Mine, the souped-up jangle of Market Forces, and the Pink Flag-influenced minimalism of the title cut. Theres a subtle intensity in Ivys vocals and lyrics that makes this play not so much serious as committed in a different way, as if this is less of a goof than it once was. And as it happens, Flat Worms can play it a bit straighter and make their music communicate just fine; shifting into high gear was never a problem for this trio, and they lock in solidly on these tracks whether theyre peeling out or minding the speed limit, with Hellman and Sullivan giving the rhythms a welcome degree of personality. Steve Albini recorded the sessions, and hes done a typically fine job of putting this music on tape with accuracy but no needless frills, and Antarctica suggests Flat Worms have a longer and more diverse future ahead of them than one might have first guessed. ~ Mark Deming