Review by Brendan Hickey
Brendan Canty and Rich Morel do their best to diverge from the expected in Deathfix, the band’s self-titled debut—and for the most part they succeed. Morel’s classically funky vocals, a head bopping beat, and heavy guitar riffs at each song’s base deliver trip-inducing tracks that inspire ears to perk and knees to bounce.
Repetitive, entrancing guitar resides at the core of each of the seven tracks produced by the D.C.-based band. The early 80’s guitar feel shines in Deathfix. This being said, toward the middle of the album, the tracks start to plateau and the energy level drops. Bassist Mark Cisneros drives the groove through this plateau but it isn’t even clear whether Cisneros is enough to break this flatline.
“Playboy” shines as the album’s standout track. While most songs on Deathfix meander uncomfortably, like a blind date, “Playboy” seduces you, lets you pick up the check, but doesn’t return your phone calls. The other obviously strong track is “Hospital” which effectively tells a story of mental illness and accompanying despair. “Hospital” has a relative simplicity about it when compared to the rest of the album which makes it easier to digest the message.
“Dali’s House,” on the other hand, feels like a bad acid trip. The seconds can’t pass quickly enough while tireless repetition inspires insanity. The song is a tongue-in-cheek anthem about celebrity where popular names are dropped like Nico, Muhammad Ali, and “the guy from House.” It was a bad joke that you laugh at the first time to be polite, but you pay the price when you are hit over the head with it for eight and a half minutes.
Deathfix’s self-titled debut album has all of the components to create a solid psychedelic funk rock blend. It doesn’t always work, and when it doesn’t it feels as if they tried to play Jenga with Lincoln Logs. It sounds like a fun game, but the tower falls more often than it stands. Still, while Deathfix is a bit of a slow burner, there are enough strong moments so that anyone can find a new favorite jam.
