Sunday 3 March 2013

Total Control - Sweaty

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


Just about everything to do with this track by Total Control is bleak. Formed in Melbourne by members of The Eddy Current Suppression Ring and UV Race, 'Total Control' first appeared on a split single with Thee Oh Sees just over a year ago but now gets the video treatment ahead of a joint tour with the aforementioned The Oh Sees and also Ceremony and The Soft Moon, as well as UV Race themselves. Quite what the deal with the video is we don't know, but it's made of crude footage of ships, bartenders, lightning and other unassociated clips.

The song slowly fades into view, as though you're aboard that ship watching it appear towards you over the horizon, and when it reaches you it's a stark rumble; a minimalist take on what could be described as alt-punk but with desolation replacing the fury. There's little more than a repetitive bass loop, an emotionless voice and then a simple guitar solo. Written down it sounds like one to give a wide berth, but listening to it is a different matter. From such low-scale passion and vigour comes an curious oddity that's unusually captivating. A pleasant surprise.



Total Control's website

Buy the single

Catch them live:

5/22:  Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
5/23: 285 Kent – Brooklyn, NY ^
5/24: Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA %
5/25: Black Cat – Washington, D.C. %
5/26: Strange Matter – Richmond, VA %
5/27: 529 – Atlanta, GA %
5/28: Murphy’s – Memphis, TN %
5/29: Rubber Gloves – Denton, TX %
5/30:  Chaos In Tejas – Austin, TX
5/31: Chaos In Tejas – Austin, TX
6/1: Chaos In Tejas – Austin, TX
6/2: Chaos In Tejas – Austin, TX
6/4: The Rhythm Room – Phoenix, AZ #
6/5: Chain Reaction – Anaheim, CA #
6/6: Echoplex – Los Angeles, CA #*
6/7: The Catalyst Atrium – Santa Cruz, CA #*
6/8: The Eagle – San Francisco, CA @

^ - w/ Crazy Spirit and Raspberry Bulbs
% - w/ UV Race
# - w/ Ceremony
* -  w/ Soft Moon
@ - w/ Thee Oh Sees





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