America Give Up (Bonus Track Version)

iTunes Review

Minneapolis-based Howler convincingly dishes out insolent, riff-heavy pop/rock on its first album, America Give Up. Traces of The Strokes’ raunchy charisma, The Ramones’ hyperactive abandon, and The Jesus and Mary Chain’s art-damaged moodiness are evident throughout these tracks. To their credit, frontman Jordan Gatesmith and his bandmates move beyond such reference points with a reckless sense of fun, making each track into a defiant gesture against sobriety and good manners. Within the perimeters of their sound, Howler manages to shift emphasis enough to keep things interesting–“Told You Once” uses acoustic guitar to create a street-busker feel, while “Too Much Blood” wraps itself in blankets of feedback and “Beach Sluts” bops to a shamelessly catchy ‘60s pop beat. Gatesmith’s pungent blend of angst and absurdity gives tracks like the playfully ghoulish “Been to the Grave” and the surf rock–inflected “Back of Your Neck” plenty of bite. “Pythagorean Fearem” takes top honors for sheer manic overdrive.