Big Neck (2023)
I wanted Chinese Junk to sound like Chinese Telephones, but that's an unfair expectation to put on a band only based on their name. Funny enough, they do have some sonic similarities, but the tunefulness of the songs is a separating point between the two bands.
Chinese Junk are playing fast, Ramones-style, downstroke heavy punk rock. Musically, it's catchy in a similar way to Johnny & co., but it's very much a rougher, lower fidelity version. All but one of the albums fourteen tracks clock in at under two minutes and that one outlier only breaks the two minute mark by four seconds. It's maybe a bit trashier than is my usual cup of tea, but there are endearing qualities about a band that just sets up and blasts through a dozen of so songs at warp speed.
The vocals are where things are a little dicier for me, and it's the same observation that I've made a thousand times. The recording quality of the vocals is just a bit too rough and distorted for me. Now, I don't like over-produced, slick vocals, but I don't prefer them to be blown out to this extent. The Marked Men are about as distorted as I can take before they've gone overboard, Chinese Junk is a bit past that. That said, I really think the record is pretty strong for this style of band. If the vocals were reigned in a bit more, I could probably get behind it.
Chinese Junk - Fly Spray:
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/chinese-junk-fly-spray
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