Perfect Saviors

2021s Ultrapop saw the deliberately inexplicable Detroit art-punk collective exploring the remote outskirts of the mainstream. That bit of sonic reconnaissance yielded some fascinating yet impenetrable results, as the band tried to have their cake and eat it by spending equal capital on obfuscation and catharsis. The aptly named Perfect Saviors remedies those ills with gusto, administering a near-perfect distillation of the groups metallic maximalist pop that swaps discord for fist-pumping arena rock. To be fair, the Armed -- Fight Club-leaning gym rats with the anarcho-punk soul and self-importance of the Clash -- have always been a band for the people. Over the years, their perceived exclusiveness has helped shape their cult status, but Perfect Saviors aims to widen the net with songs that are both adrenalizing and accessible. Opener "Sport of Measure" plays it coy, presenting as a pretty, indie rock chamber piece before dissolving into a glitchy, comically compressed maelstrom, then on to soaring, Turnstile-esque hardcore, all in under three minutes. Having taken the piss, so to speak, the Armed get down to business, delivering a volley of potent noise-punk rockers ("FKA World," "Clone," "Everythings Glitter") that temper their myriad technical complexities with sugary, boot-stomping melodies. Interspersed throughout are punchy, dancefloor-filling bangers ("Liar 2"), sleek, Berlin-era Bowie-style sophisti-pop gems ("Modern Vanity"), and even an acoustic ballad ("In Heaven"). Julien Baker, former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, Illuminati Hotties Sarah Tudzin, and Janes Addictions Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins all add spice to the proceedings, but its the Armed themselves -- still defiantly cultish yet no longer faceless entities -- that bear the weight. ~ James Christopher Monger