There must be something in that Bay Area water. Charting its map of music influence is quite the sight, clustering a small field-span with the likes of Sly Stone’s funk, Jerry Garcia, the Lars Ulrich snare and performing eyeballs. Dead Kennedys’ guitarist even adopted the East Bay name while Green Day launched its underground scene to the mainstream. It’s no wonder the location’s rise of tech-bro culture is fuelling its enduring legacy of snarling, reactionary punk rock.
Just last year the Tenderloin’s Spiritual Cramp released a party-worthy collection of pumped punk jams that captured this spirit: an acerbic, cutting critique of modern city living from the perspective of scallywags and chancers. In a similar vein, States Of Nature channel their own jangly upbeat sound for their awaited full length to address the warts-and-all Californian dream. Mostly for the worst, identifying the ways of the Wicked World, while New Foundations comments on the absurd favouring of glossy apartment blocks to affordable housing during an epidemic of homelessness.
On the surface, that signals abject misery. But this quartet injects peppiness into proceedings to rival its bang-on criticisms. Both aforementioned tracks get the hearts racing with pogoing and even a tricksy solo from Dennis Orason whose technical chops deliver fun turns unexpected in post-punk music (including a lovely fill in single Papered News), while he and Eric Urbach’s guitars indulge in warbly chorus effects, frenetic angular riffs and dynamic builds on the ominously titled throwback-sounding God With A Gun.
The band operates on a cohesive rhythmic shuffle throughout; Isa Knife’s on-beat drumming complement sharp guitar stabs on Tides, very reminiscent of indie rock’s noughties heyday, and they often shift from gloomy moods to all-out hooks. Undone (from the standout mid-section) grows from a downbeat strut to a crunchy heavy section heralded by bassist Lindsey Anne, a dual vocal attack that’s used sparingly that slams when it does. Both singers stand at the helm on the bouncy low-end heaviness of The Return, one of the record’s highest rollicking peaks.
Jostling between the light and the dark mimics the clearly intentional title Brighter Than Before, and the balanced instrumental atmospheres expose all the tricks up their sleeves. Handled at the masterful controls of the Bay’s own producer extraordinaire Jack Shirley, even the catchiest of ear-nuggets are dug out of their most furious side on American Drone. On slowed closer Oh The Light, there’s flashes of pop punk heaven with guitar and bass licks reminiscent on Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt’s work on Longview, before re-capturing all of States of Nature’s choc-a-bloc exasperated energy that came before.
With a staple sound that goes beyond the confines of the ever popular post-punk revival, the group delves into noodling solo sections, blistering rock ‘n’ roll and crazed dance sections all silhouetted by an overarching shadow from the Salesforce Tower. It’s a promising debut that captures every essence of their playfulness and grit—another one-to-watch in a scene that spotlights social justice in an area that’s never lost its creativity and determination to do so.
For fans of: Sweeping Promises, Hot Snakes, Spiritual Cramp
‘Better Than Before’ by States Of Nature is released on 16th February on Sell The Heart Records.
Words by Elliot Burr
