Chune

Big Hat, No Cattle (Headhunter/Cargo)
by Chris Adams

My initial response to this EP was “Yeah, so what? I have Sonic Youth records too.” After a brief preliminary, “Dated and Jaded” blasts hell-for-leather into the same kinda manic drone that makes many of Sonic Youth’s instrumental breaks so mind-bendingly exhilarating. And, in Chune‘s case anyway, that’s no bad thing. Despite the familiar discord, they never sound as if they’re just meandering copyists. They may have drawn direct inspiration from Thurston and Co., but there’s no blueprint for the kind of dynamics and intensity that Chune have to offer. Also, while vocalist Andy Harris may not be Caruso, his voice is strong, and it has real character, which is pretty rare with this kinda stuff. If this ain’t already huge on college radio, it will be shortly.