Never fear change. The Coathangers are infiltrating new territory and making it seem effortless. Nosebleed Weekend completes the band’s journey from cheeky misfits to refined, fun-loving rock overlords. They’re shooting for a more sincere musical experience, but manage to maintain the brazen attitude that’s long made them such a fun act.
The record’s component parts are simple in nature – strummy riffs and chugging garage rock numbers – but that’s by no means undesirable. The title track is quite anthemic and an apt representation of the album as a whole. The Coathangers apply themselves to making quality material that stubbornly sticks in your head. After a single listen, you’ll be passionately reciting the line, “It’s alright / Yeah it’s OK / We’ve got a nosebleed weekend heading your way”, like it’s a war-cry.
Hiya and Burn Me provide a bounty of claps and relentlessly catchy guitar hooks, respectively; while Squeeki Tiki is a true stand-out, mashing bouncing riffs, vocal chants and what sound like rubber ducks used as percussion.
The Coathangers also know how to mess with your head and come at you from an angle you won’t expect. Midway through Down Down it suddenly morphs into a completely different kind of song, building a fierce melancholic growl before punching into flat-out moshpit material. Dumb Baby blasts along at an infectious, head-nodding pace, and the manic bass line of Watch Your Back spearheads an explosively tense crescendo. Copycat ends the album on a surprisingly gentle indie-rock number, relying more upon relaxed charm than vitriol to disarm you.
If you’re willing to go with the slightly more sophisticated flow, Nosebleed Weekend promises a really great time with a side of recklessness.
BY JACOB COLLIVER
