Antimony

Phantom Itch (Double Deuce)
by Lex Marburger

One of the better intros to an album and a song: An overblown bass rips an activating line, fueling rage and excitement. Then, a woman’s voice deadpans, “kick it,” which launches a groove in a completely different direction, keeping the same bass line. Antimony is three fourths of Circus Lupus, an amazing Dischord band that broke up too early. On Phantom Itch (Double Deuce), they expand on the Lupus form, and play rolling post punk in the style of the Holy Rollers and Fugazi. But Antimony is better. They use intelligent song forms, and have the best use of odd time signatures since H.P. Zinker (though the comparison between Zinker and Antimony ends there), setting up the melodies in a way that sounds completely natural in an unnatural context. Phantom Itch staggers and lilts like a renegade machine gone haywire, and it’s intricate songwriting stands proud against the winds of pretension and ego.

Unfortunately, Antimony has already broken up. Such is the temperament of great artists.