Bang! Bang! Eche! - EP

Bang! Bang! Eche! - EP

These young New Zealand lads and lass probably weren’t even around back when Gang of Four ruled punk-rock dance floors, but they sure are imbued with the spirit. This debut EP opens with stinging lashes of guitar on “4 to the Floor,” driven by rigorous drum/bass/keyboard interplay that only gets more intense as the song moves along, singer Zach Doney shouting to be heard over the guitars and hooting synths. It’s a riotous, all-out dance-punk attack, delivered with complete abandon and a slightly deranged, in-your-face doggedness to have fun. BBE are just as inspired as the more political GoF, but with different motivation:  “From Tokyo to France, we know you wanna dance!” “No cops, no drugs, no cocaine, boys and girlfriends/We got a beat, and we know how to use it!” “Time Mismanagement” spins outward from the same barely controlled chaos, fueled by synths that thrust and squall, guitars that jab and joust, with Doney breaking down mid-song to a screaming heap of spent energy. From the tightly wound anarchy of the band’s first single, “Nikee,” to the airy electronic foundation of “As Thick As Thieves (You + Me),” there is enough texture and variation here to keep the band’s relentless energy interesting. The only flaw with Bang Bang Eche’s debut may be their boundless exuberance — one worries how long they can keep it up without imploding. (Note: F-bombs abound.)

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