Right from the get go, Health Problems throw you into a punk surf
rock frenzy with an unrelenting bass guitar taking center stage. The
vocals presented are similar at times to Daughters. The vocalist of the
album makes me want to categorize the music as noise rock, but the
instruments on display in the first track are much cleaner sounding than
traditional noise rock. These are some strong surf punk.
On the third track, 'Mr. Man', we are given a
Rollins-esque monologue that eventually devolves and tears itself apart.
This is the longest track on the album, the strongest track on the
album, and showcases a band taking risks with their sound and it paying
off.
After hearing 'Mr. Man', it is hard to jump right
back into the surf punk sound, making the placement of 'Boy Problems'
one of the few flaws on the album. I imagine this is a much subtler
transition when you have the pause of flipping the cassette first, but
on digital release, the transition could be improved.
Overall, this album has good songwriting that is
highlighted by the singers powerful delivery. Never does an
instrumental standout, but the musicianship is solid enough. While this
album will probably be overlooked by the majority of the music
community, it is a strong release that is worthy of a purchase if you
want noise rock with an outlandish vocal delivery reminiscent of
Daughters-Hell Songs.
The album can be streamed and purchased on cassette or digitally at their label's Bandcamp Here.
