McGuigan

Wombnuke
By Scott Deckman

Hot on the release of single “Riverbed,” McGuigan gives us EP Wombnuke. For a guy who’s just starting out, McGuigan trades in some pretty sophisticated sounds, or at least mostly tasteful ones (I don’t know exactly what recording programs do these days). Namesake “Wombnuke” is good indie rock, with the singer’s voice sounding bored (that’s how he usually sounds), but with a pointed guitar talking for him. There’s a riff in the middle somewhat reminiscent of Ramones’ “Do You Remember Rock ‘N’ Roll Radio?” as well. The lyrics can sometimes be hard to decipher, but easy compared to the recorded TV-like voices thrown in, a response to said lyrics. Plus, the song has handclaps. This is about as catchy as “Riverbed.”

More studio adeptness can be found on timely titled instrumental “Influenced to Death” and “Lou Sbutle,” where the ambient beats and pretty guitar compete for your ear. There are ’80s hints on the latter, heavy with nostalgia that this kid wasn’t even alive for. The noisy wailing and somber keys of “Yah Yahs” lead into “Keese,” which adds barely audible vocals before breaking into drum samples, ending with those same vocals and piano. And yes, those vocals over the keys reminds one of Sting in the opening of Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing.”

Closer “Narcissist” mixes menacing-if-laid-back dreamscapes, synths, and juvenile Trent Reznor screams. Predictable, but we all start somewhere. There seems to be an overarching Trent influence on Wombnuke, or Reznor once-removed. This 15 minutes-plus is certainly short, feels a little incomplete, but it’s pretty good. Best of all, it shows promise.