20: The Soft Pack – The Muslims
1928 Recordings

The Soft Pack (who were until recently called the Muslims) make stripped down, nothing-but-the-gritty-necessities garage rock. What separates them from the legions of bands that do exactly the same thing, poorly, is a strong sense of melody and straight up musicianship: they know how to play their instruments, and they know how to play them together. The Soft Pack cram their debut with intensity, energy and a fuck-off attitude that reminds me pleasantly of the Strokes, back when they didn’t suck. There’s also a hint of eighties nostalgia that manages to not annoy me, which is notable for its rarity. If you think that you’re tired of this style of music, of which there have admittedly been far too many bands trying to play it during the past decade, give the Muslims a listen: you’ll find that what you’re tired of is not stripped down rock and roll, but all the bands that do it poorly.

Labels: 2008 Recap, Album Review, The Soft Pack