Cursed Blessings Records – 09 Sep 2022
Genre blending post-punkers release rocking EP (ffo: Idles, Bikini Kill)
MVLL CRIMES is a post-hardcore band from London, ON. Formed in 2019, YOU EMBVRVSS ME is the Forest City outfit’s sophomore EP.
The front half of the EP starts out strong. Opening track “Arguing with Strangers” is an ode to winning internet arguments that clocks in just shy of two minutes. “Dirty Fingers” is a grungy burner where vocalist Jill howls over dense drums, distorted bass and RAT-soaked chords.
Perhaps the standout track is “Bootlicker’s Delight Reprisvl”. Backed by an opening riff gently reminiscent of the back catalog of Queens of the Stone Age, MVLL CRIMES rail against those who blindly support the police, describing their relationship through sexual analogies. (I suspect I’m going to sing this under my breath next time I see a thin blue line shirt at a punk show.)
Come the back half of the EP, MVLL CRIMES start to lag. “Foods I Don’t Eat” feels like an attempt at a vegetarian anthem but comes off as the polar opposite of The Chats‘ “Pub Feed”. “Limp Bizkit 4 Eva” seems to lament the loss of value of compact discs since 1999. Perhaps this was written from another narrator’s viewpoint — otherwise, I’m confused why the band is concerned about the resale value of Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.
In the final track, MVLL CRIMES brings it all home with “Checkin’ Out”, a day in the life of the writer. Lead guitarist Pat expertly colors this track with delay and vibrato effects that wouldn’t sound out of place on the Dead Kennedys class Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables.
I’ll confess that post-punk typically isn’t my cup of tea. On YOU EMBVRVSS ME, MVLL CRIMES manages to buck my listening trend by combining the lean post-punk stylings of IDLES with the urgency and anger of Riot Girl bands like Bikini Kill and L7. I would recommend giving this a listen, as MVLL CRIMES might surprise even the most ardent punker.
Once hailing from the salty tundra of Syracuse, NY, Ben now calls the DC suburbs his home. He fell in love with punk after listening to Punk-O-Rama 3, Less Than Jake and MXPX in middle school. He loves to slam dance but is too large to stage dive.
When he’s not pretending to have exquisite musical taste, he’s raising two children, designing RPG products and practicing law. (Who knows if he’ll ever get the hang of it.)
