Part of the post-millennium reimagining of early-'80s post-punk,
the Fuse! are a southern California power trio with one foot in the
Gang of Four/
Mekons school of rabble-rousing art punk and the other in the more abrasive, confrontational style of classic
Fall. (There's even a hint of
Crass/Zounds/
Poison Girls/etc. in the militant anti-style of the chaotic vocals and the sociopolitical undercurrents that are understandable in the lyrics.) The anonymous trio (they simply go by the designations F1, F2, and F3) kick up a furious storm of post-punk energy leavened by the presence of some actual pop hooks that show up in the most unexpected places, and the brief songs (14 in just over 32 minutes) never overstay their welcome. In a field of post-punk nostalgia suddenly overcrowded by people who think they're the next
Au Pairs,
the Fuse! have a better than average handle on what makes this music tick. ~ Stewart Mason