Kill Me Tomorrow : Skin’s Getting Weird

I should probably preface this review by saying that Kill Me Tomorrow’s live performances have made them one of my favorite bands, local or otherwise. They have a dancey no-wave sound but without that oh-so-annoying forced sassiness found in many of today’s hipster cognoscenti. Dan Wise’s guitar sound is akin to Sonic Youth or Wire and K8 Wince’s bass is usually in a category all its own (“space bass” maybe?) And though they’ve been around for a few years now, they haven’t really released much that represents their current sound. Not counting a full length they recorded with a completely different line-up (a record that really doesn’t represent the electro/no-wave sound they’ve since adopted), KMT put out a 4 song, 4 remix EP in 2001 and a two song 7″ released last year.

Well, Kill Me Tomorrow are back with a brand new EP, Skin’s Getting Weird. This six-track release has two original songs, a cover, a remix and two crazy noise- jam-narrative tracks. The best tracks are the two originals followed closely by their excellent fuzzed-out cover of Suicide’s “Ghost Rider”. This isn’t to say the other songs are throwaways, but you probably won’t find yourself listening to them every time you throw this on.

The title track kicks off with K8’s paranoid bass line setting the foundation for Zach Wentz’s simple yet rhythmic drum beats and mumbled melodic vocals (he plays a stand-up drum kit!). Dan’s guitar buzzes and hums in the background until it comes in squealing and screeching, disappearing and reappearing throughout the song. K8’s off key backing vocals compliment the song well and add to its overt creepiness. This song is remixed by GSL’s first hip-hop act, Subtitle. Instead of just putting a different beat over the same vocal tracks, he rearranges the basic elements of the song to create a totally new interpretation of the track.

The two noise-oriented tracks on here provide the soundtrack for a narrative about a potential time traveler being probed and prodded over and over and over by his employers…strange shit, but I like it. The guitars cut like a DJ working it on the wheels of the steel, and it’s hard not to love that. But part two of this song clocks in at almost 14 minutes, which is pretty fucking long for something without much melody.

Though Skin’s Getting Weird is not the full length I’ve been craving, it’ll quench my thirst till the full length is finally released.

Similar albums:
Erase Errata – Other Animals
The Fall – Grotesque (After the Gramme)
Wire – 154