ALBUM REVIEW: Connection Anxiety – Thotcrime
Split across the US and the UK, THOTCRIME are a cybergrind outfit that has taken some time to come to its true fruition — now in their most complete form so far with the release of their third album Connection Anxiety. From unrelenting drum machine programming to screamo-inspired vocals, a SEEYOUSPACECOWBOY fan will be right at home in the chronically online chaos that THOTCRIME have conjured up.
To put into perspective how perplexing this UK/US hybrid can be sometimes, picture if VENGABOYS’ danceability personified itself and jumped into a screamo pit and met HEALTH, they become best friends and start a band, voila, you have THOTCRIME! You’ll quickly come to find out whether this album is for you by either being beaten senseless by what could sound like discordant clattering instruments or harmonious layered melodies and complimentary screams that pair like a cold drink on a hot summer’s day.
The four-piece take the cyber portion of the cocktail seriously, making the astute observation of their strengths lying in that realm, subsequently pouring their energy heavily into that; like the glistening cyberpop intro to Behind The Cracks, which is criminally 00s-core to the extent of bordering on visceral cringe reaction before delving into sweet breakdowns. And that saccharine that is so present on other tracks like Beyond The Journey’s End and opener A Better World Is Possible that express elements of J-rock.
And then there’s the other side of the coin, the one with the sludgy breakdowns that make you feel dirty — full of grime — some of which are incorporated into that sugary mixture, and some that fully embrace the levels of digitally enhanced heaviness that is present in THOTCRIME’s DNA. This Podcast Could’ve Been Four Seasons and title track Connection Anxiety pull no punches when it comes to this; paired together they’re like a one-two knockout. But there’s something far more special than their unique heaviness: how unarguably cringe THOTCRIME are.
Where their sugariness caramelises is at that epicentre of cringe aesthetic. Thankfully, the internet is beginning to embrace what most of us would consider “cringe”. Connection Anxiety is in its most fertile place it could possibly be for its authenticity to shine through, whether that’s indulging its 00s pop elements or screaming along at the top of your lungs. If the goal of making music and art is to create an understanding between creator and listener then the listener must attempt to immerse themselves within the art, right?
For that reason alone, you’ve got to give yourself over to what THOTCRIME ask of you to really appreciate the mess that they’ve made, and it’s a glorious mess. Sticky and sickly, they overthrow what you expect a conventional release to look like, from being split across the world as performers, to utilising unconventional production and aesthetics. They’re unsavoury, but the most staggering art often is.
Rating: 8/10
Connection Anxiety is out now via Prosthetic Records.
Like THOTCRIME on Facebook.