Review: The Spits – “VI”

Thriftstore Records, 30 October 2020

Garage punks The Spits return for the first time in 9 years.  Things get brief, things get chaotic, and things get fun.

Kalamazoo, Michigan’s The Spits have been going at it for a while now, releasing a series of catchy garage punk records, mostly self-titled and only differentiated by numbers.  Now, after 9 years, The Spits are back with more bonkers high-energy punk rock.  Unsurprisingly titled VI, the record goes quick, pumping out ten songs in seventeen minutes.    

As has now become a distinct part of The Spits experience, a certain Ramones vibe takes hold throughout VI.  While the blown-out speakers sound mostly eschews the relatively clean and buzzing sound of Ramones for a more fuzzed out distorto-warped thing, the adherence to their tried-and-true formula and the simple, hooky, and driving songs easily match the Ramones aesthetic.  Songs like opener “Up All Night” get sort of dark with some ominous and trashed guitar chords and an aggressive pace while asking provocative questions like “do you like your life”.  “Cop Kar” and “It’s Over” do a similar thing, with “Cop Kar” working in some siren-synths and distorted lead guitars that pop in and out, kind of resetting the brain each time.  And the bass on fast buzzer “It’s Over” is melodic and fantastic, sticking out and dragging me in.  Inexplicably, somewhere around the middle of VI, the weirdly clean sounding “Broken Glass” shows up.  The “Broken Glass” guitars buzz and the pace blasts, injecting a great rhythmic hook on the chorus and kicking out a song that comes closer to the traditional Ramones sound than anything else on the record.         

And though there is this obvious Ramones-indebtedness all over VI, there are some other sounds worming into the record as well.  “Lose My Mind” is more of a mid-tempo number.  The drums clatter and stomp and the synths pull a great hook on the chorus.  While I’m listening, I think a little of Marked Men – the hooks and melodies aren’t all that immediate and obviously loaded, but they worm their way into my brain and stick – subtle songcraft that leaves a lasting mark.  Closer “Wurms” does this, too.  Opening with synths that sound ripped from an 80’s video game, the hooks on the chorus suck you in and hold your attention.  It also feels like the song kind of opens up on the second run through the chorus (not really sure that it does, but it does feel that way), becoming less claustrophobic during the latter half and sounding like it could soundtrack some sort of panicked side-scrolling shooter video game from years back.  But my favorite on VI is probably “Breakdown”.  Opening with garbage drums, the song has a real Devo feel, with lower vocals panning right-to-left and back again and lead guitar that is dirty as all-get-out and cool to boot.  It’s simple and hectic and anxiety-ridden (and a bunch of fun) – and I’m not even sure why it lands so well, it just does.  

VI is a good time.  I’ve always heard the Devo-meets-Ramones comparisons and found them pretty spot on.  That doesn’t change here.  The Spits are dumb (or at least they want you to think they are) and The Spits are fun, and VI is everything you’d expect.

Favorite song: “Breakdown”

Favorite moment: the guitars on “Broken Glass” sound sort of out of place, but they buzz just right

Favorite whatever else: the melodic bass on “It’s Over” is fantastic fun