SPRUCE HA "Mulch Swap" (Quantum Wampum)



Attention-deficit atonal no wave from Cleveland, OH, with strong female vox, cheeseball synth, and some really goofy uptuned drums. Vocals cover the territory from Arab on Radar squeals to Erase Errata sing-speak ranting while the backing band careens back and forth between time signatures. The drummer is really fond of cowbell-heavy mid-song breakdowns that in any other context would be totally unforgivable, but here it's hardly the most obnoxious element at play. As for the tape itself, the presentation is pretty minimal, with the cover art in particular being really questionable, but given the sounds inside that's probably what they were going for. This definitely has the feeling of a document created in the moment rather than a polished and finished product, which is something I'm generally down with. On the other hand, I'm not sure I'm down with the fact that Side B is mostly empty after 1.5 songs, which just seems like a missed opportunity. I want to hear more!



-Will Griscom