ALBUM REVIEW: The Hesitation To Disappear – Bug Chaser
Having named one of the singles from their debut album Randi Fucked A Shark, BUG CHASER were all but guaranteed to grab anyone’s attention. The punk trio from Copenhagen, Denmark have just released the record in question – entitled The Hesitation To Disappear – via Vicious Records. It is made up of ten songs.
The first song is called Bughead. The song is a fast-paced old school sounding punk song. The production is raw, and it has a nostalgic feel to it. There also seems to be a country twang to the guitars that gives BUG CHASER a uniqueness. However, the vocal performance is very hit or miss, and they go from spoken word to screeching. This causes a very irritating listening experience.
Unfortunately, this continues in Dolls In Drawers, which is a bewildering song. The vocals now sound like the band were drunk when they made it, as they slur before belching into a screaming chorus. The instruments are perfectly fine; however, no production can help the vocals. Thankfully, House On Fire slows things down a bit. This might ruin the pacing of the album, but it calms things down from the frantic two songs at the start. Unfortunately, it slows things down too much; despite only being just over three minutes long, it seems to take forever to end.
The aforementioned Randi Fucked A Shark is next. It returns to the fast pace of the first two songs. This creates a tonal inconsistency in the album. BUG CHASER actually do better when they focus on the slower songs, rather than the faster ones. The production is good, as always, and the band sound like they are having fun, but the album also sounds like a rough cut. Small Things is a very short song that seems to serve as an interlude of sorts. It is a decent song. However, the ending is just vocals only and it’s a bit like hearing your friend after one too many drinks on the karaoke machine.
Thankfully, Gardenhead returns to the slower side of BUG CHASER. The bass in particular is a highlight on the song. Head Of Shit also improves things, as it is a mid-tempo song. The rest of the album follows a weird but pleasant mid-tempo sound. Unfortunately, it is only the instruments that improve. The vocals are still not that good. The second half of the album sticks to some sort of regularity in terms of pacing. However, it doesn’t make up for the first disjointed half.
In conclusion, The Hesitation To Disappear is a very mixed bag. It’s like marmite; people are either going to love it or hate it. If you are a fan of a disjointed, rough, but unique sound, then this album will be perfect for you. However, if you are not a fan of the aforementioned sound, then you will find yourself questioning if it is worth the listen. The pacing of the album is all over the place. It finds its footing by the end, but it isn’t enough to save the disappointing mess.
Rating: 5/10
The Hesitation To Disappear is out now via Vicious Records.
Like BUG CHASER on Facebook.