NEWS4U DECEMBER 2021 | MUSIC
SLUICE Evansville's pop-punk kings kick royal ass on debut full-length, Hopeless Contrarian
raspy screams that put Hopeless Contrarian over the top, creating, in his words, a "cosmic gumbo." If nothing else, this new release shows just how quickly his talent is developing, with Ortiz, Angle and Dawson gamely keeping pace and then some - standouts such as "Never Enjoyed Anything Ever" and "Sludge" sound like instant emo classics by a seasoned band. The former's nearly-grinding-to-a-halt, thick-as-mud chorus is a total epiphany while the latter's melodic melancholy driven by Edge-like echoing guitar may be Sluice's finest musical moment - complemented perfectly by Bohannon's engaging wordplay: "Blackened leaves fuse together in sludge/ Grab me by the ankles and never budge."
Of all the amazing things about Sluice's brand new emocharged album, this takes the cake: Drummer Chris Dawson reportedly nailed every insane beat and fill first take in the studio - much to the delight of Steve Tyner at Black Cat Recording who was overheard exclaiming, L-R: DAWSON, BOHANNON, ORTIZ, ANGLE
"F***ing A!" when the exceptionally-gifted musician blew through his parts on Hopeless Contrarian in one go. And while guitarist/vocalist Bobo Bohannon, guitarist Zach Ortiz and bassist/vocalist Mitch Angle didn't quite achieve that level of perfection during the recording sessions, they certainly held their own, delivering blistering performances that, as a whole, have resulted in a fantastic full-length follow-up to 2020's self-titled EP. Songwriting for Hopeless Contrarian actually began just before the recording of the EP and continued on
That lyrical inventiveness shines throughout, particularly
right up until Sluice reconvened with Tyner back in May.
on the aching title track and angry "Cull," though the
Bohannon, the band's primary creative force, sparked the
singer's humorous side is always within reach as heard on
majority of ideas while holed-up during the pandemic.
"Hospital? Trashcan!" and "Unreliable Narrator."
But it was Angle's "Satellite" that was ultimately singled out to promote the album. A mix of old school punk
Elsewhere, "Nuke the Sun," a 75-second barnburner, was
and the edgier elements of emo, its frantic tempo and
reportedly written in 15 inspirational minutes. "Ghost,"
impassioned lyrical refrain - "You don't care anymore!"
while standard song-length, never lets up as Dawson
- with vocal interplay between Angle and Bohannon
pounds away with abandon, executing lightning-fast
make for a killer introduction to one of the tri-state's best
drum rolls that are topped only by a ridiculously long
original albums in recent memory.
assault on the skins in "Think Again, Friendarino" - which he jokingly regrets as it will be a bitch to recreate live.
Still,
it's
Bohannon's
intricate
guitar
riffs,
clever
arrangements, sardonic lyrics and cigarette-induced
We'll see if Dawson can pull it off on December 4 at The Venue when Sluice performs Hopeless Contrarian in full.
For more info, follow Sluice on Facebook. Hopeless Contrarian should be available soon on major streaming platforms.
30 | DECEMBER 2021
• www.evansvillemediagroup.com
