The Muddle

(SST)
by Scott Hefflon

After a long “break,” SST release a seemingly unremarkable album. It’ll have you hooked after one listen. True to the name, every instrument is fuzzy. It takes some getting used to, especially in the age of punk-so-clean-you-can-eat-off-it. Beneath the fuzz is a pop love song, similar to unadorned Cure songs. That’s a stretch, but these songs are genuinely pretty without being superficial. Somewhere under the caked-on distortion lies a simple, catchy tune.