thedonproject
"Songs of Wrath and Optimism"
◉ ◉ ◉ ○ ○(3/5: decent)
Punk 7" vinyl
Broken Rekids skip81 (2000)
I paid $3 for this record.
The third record from Astrid Oto sees them dive a little deeper into the punk ethos. They give less attention to esoteric niceties like melody and rhythm. Parts of the B-side opener are simply passages from the book Cutting The Lion's Tail, which appears to be an exciting account of the battle for the Suez Canal told from the Egyptian point of view. The songs are still pretty standard East Bay power chord punk songs, but they seem edgier and more chaotic on this record. The last track solidifies this appreciation of chaos with charming stories of being beaten down by punk adventure and shouting "Even more!"

It's a decent record, but doesn't have the classic staying power of some of the other Cometbus projects. Cindy and Ed continue to be interesting, the guitar continues to hold down a simple chord progression, the drums are almost dance-inspiring, and the bass is there somewhere, but there's not enough to make me love this record, as much as I want to.

If you like this review, you can buy me a coffee.

Tracks:
A1: Can't Farm in the Rain
A2: Slumlord Speedball
B1: Nasser Pt. 2
B2: On the Avenue
Last updated: 05/17/2020
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