Primitive Thrill by Weegee (Dot Dash Sounds)

Weegee
Primitive Thrill
Dot Dash Sounds

Dripping with seductive rock and roll grit, Weegee goes deep and dark with Primitive Thrill. Somewhere between bands like Sonic Youth and the Pain Teens, this album amplifies the addictive qualities of the New York alternative underground.

Founded by multidisciplinary artist and vocalist Julie Congo, she assembled a crew that squeezes allure out of the dark like a fine wine. This conglomerate includes Adam Kastin (half of noise troubadours Colour Bük) on guitar and drummer Michael Rekevics, who also reside in Vilkacis, Yellow Eyes and Loosey).

Until now, the band has been privately writing and recording music for the past seven years. Through live performances, they were joined by Sam Bennett on bass and Greg Vegas on saxophone. We get that thrill on the title track with Vegas spitting out notes through his saxophone like a grammatically correct John Zorn but feeling more at home nestled up to Steve Sostak’s Sweep the Leg Johnny-like horn blowing.

I love how the band builds perspective. They distort reality like a blurred daydream on “Maybe I’m Blind,” reminiscent of meandering early arthouse hallucinations by The Cure. “Spellbound” (a reference to the Siouxsie and the Banshee song, perhaps?) is a sloppy and intoxicating romp that feels its impact in the force of the guitars pushing and pulling rhythms while keeping tempos at the forefront.

Primitive Thrill is in for the kill as the shock of abrasive rock accentuated by noisy thrills put the band on the New York map with an urban trip of artistic excess.