The Pack a.d.
Unpersons
Mint Records
September 20, 2011
Vancouver duo, the Pack a.d.’s drummer Maya Miller and guitarist/vocalist Becky Black layer storytelling on their fourth album, throatily rupturing compositions beyond confrontational ferocity. Miller drives us through the record, with a deft brush stroke in “Ride,” a raging cowbell in “8,” and her consistently catchy and unpredictable tribal-punk garage power throughout. Black conjures bits of PJ Harvey, Grace Slick, Jean Smith, and even Alice Cooper in her vocals, proving decided range as she delivers eerie lines like “Your future is uncomfortable” from “Positronic.”
The album begins with “Sirens,” catching the listener immediately on the rocks; it’s percussive and irresistible. Black taunts, “Can’t catch me. My back has wings. Yeah, right.” On “Haunt You,” it’s hard not to feel the grip of a zombie fist. The most clever track “8” advises, “I know your pain. Let’s have soup together, kill the world, and all have lunch.” Unpersons brings us the personality and sounds of ghosts.
Listen to this: During dance solos on apartment rooftops, tossing jump splits at cloud cover.
— Bonnie MacAllister renders moments through a variety of media. Often
pieces are multi-genre: writing, installation, film, and performance. For more of her work, bonniemacallister.wordpress.com.