Maryland's
Dope Body recorded the basic tracks for
Kunk at the same sessions that became 2014's
Lifer. Knowing they'd left worthy songs off, they revisited the tapes and realized that with some editing and re-recording, they had another full-length. Noisy as hell, this Maryland duo combine a wealth of influences --
Sonic Youth,
Pussy Galore,
the Cramps,
Royal Trux,
Jesus Lizard,
Pissed Jeans, etc -- in a (mostly) sludge-drenched set of bent grooves and twisted riffs. The single "Old Grey" contains a single chord played in downstroke threes -- even during a key change -- appended by feedback and a cracking snare, to create a filthy sonic backdrop for the tight verse and chorus. On "Casual," noise and hip-hop bass loops are mixed way up front as a distorted, low-tuned guitar and wonky, frazzled bassline chug in the backdrop while the vocals ride the wave, shouted in hedonistic delight. "Down," the most structured and melodic cut here, combines late grunge and neo-psych in a midtempo swirl of reverbed guitars and swampy bass. "Obey" relies on three menacing notes to establish a groove as deep and fat as it is unhinged. "Goon Line" derives its massive vamp directly from
David Bowie's "Fame" (they even use the word "shame" in the chorus to make sure we get it) and transforms it into a creature of gleeful, funky menace. But there are problems. The instrumental interludes between tunes -- the aimless meandering of "Muddy Dune," the squiggling "Ash Toke," and the squall of "Pincher" -- are just long enough to distract and blunt the twisted, head-crushing impact of
Kunk somewhat. It's worth considering the question as to whether they were added later as filler for length. Without them,
Kunk would have been a truly great long EP. But even with flaws,
Dope Body deliver more than enough sick pleasure in these jams for fans to gorge on.