Obits - Bed & Bugs - Orange Vinyl

Obits - Bed & Bugs - Orange Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Sub Pop (2013)

From the first moments of lead track "Taste The Difff," I can tell that I'm going to be pleased with this newest Obits record. While I really enjoyed their first record, their 2nd, Moody Standard & Poor, didn't hold up as well for me. Though that album certainly had its moments, I couldn't help feeling that something was missing. I think what it was is the sort of energy that the band manages to channel on Bed & Bugs.

The guitars are a bit louder, the drumming is more aggressive and Rick Froberg's vocals have once again become the driving force for the majority of the songs. Rick's back to a little good old fashion yelling on several songs and you can really hear the passion in his voice. Sure, I'm not as into the track "Besetchet," a cover from the Ethiopiques series, and yes, "Machines" grinds the album to a screeching halt, but the vast majority of this record is a fast paced, reverb soaked delight.

I've been following this band since one of their early shows was bootlegged and shared over at the Swami message board. I was on board for I Blame You. I enjoyed Moody Standard & Poor, though I didn't love it. Bed & Bugs is easily the band's best record and most consistent collection of songs to date. It's definitely worth checking out, even if you've been lukewarm on any of their previous work.

Obits - Bed & Bugs:
soundcloud.com/subpop/sets/obits-bed-bugs