Don’t fall into silence
The river too is rising
The willows are sounding with desire
The southwestern Ohio band, The Serfs, have returned with force for their second LP, Primal Matter on Dream Recordings. Known for their sporadic, yet concise, music—that is sometimes tough synthpunk, sometimes lo-fi techno, other times stripped down post-punk—The Serf’s first single, “The Willows,” from the Primal Matter is no different.
“The Willows” has a unconstrained, sheer power that emanates throughout the song as the snare crashes and echoes, colliding with metallic accents and heavily delayed vocals. There’s an eerie cloud that settles over the song to add an ominous element, a curious contrast to its upbeat foundation. With a similar dark rambunctiousness found in The Jesus and the Mary Chain‘s oeuvre and the primitive and raw synths of The Units, “The Willows” is a one-two punch.
Listen below:
Drawn from the lineage of their Ohioan forerunners (Devo, Pere Ubu) who just couldn’t seem to be pinned down in terms of their bizarre and wonderful art, The Serfs are a trio that found a certain underground notoriety from their previous LP, Sounds of Serfdom on Detriti. Catch them on the West Coast this February to celebrate the release of Primal Matter, out February 25th.
2/23 Oakland – Elbo Room
2/25 San Diego – The Whistle Stop
2/26 Los Angeles – Catch One
