Bloodsports – Anything Can Be A Hammer (Good English Records) (13th Floor Album Review)
This is Bloodsports’ debut Lp, Anything Can Be A Hammer, and to say I’m excited is an understatement.
Members Sam Murphy (vocals, guitar), Jeremy Mock (Guitar, synth), Liv Eriksen (bass, vocals) and Scott Hale (drums) alongside producer Hayden Ticehurst have managed to create something truly special here, from interesting chord progressions which weave endlessly onwards to short sharp punk which twists and explodes with energy, the album winds through desperation, longing, freedom of self-expression and vulnerability so deeply wound into the album That the teenage rebel will come fighting from within us, listening with intent.
The album starts with pure anticipation, spewing dissonance in every direction, the guitars invoke nostalgia with every chord while simultaneously hooking you into the modern era of sound creating a whirlwind of distortion that makes it surprisingly blissful on the ears, while vocalist Sam Murphy (vocals, guitar) almost whispers into the huge soundscapes they’ve so effortlessly created, causing that nervous excitement that’s feels new and unique.
The first track, Trio 1, is an explosion of sound, a perfect interlude to start off a reckless sound. With it being instrumental they’ve managed to begin a story of anguish and longing, the guitars screaming words we dare not say aloud.
The second track Come, Dog starts us on the journey with heavy drums and a driving bass forcing us marching forward, as the rest of the band crash in the first vocals and announced, softer than expected but quite deliberate in deliverance which is fitting as the first lines, “Heavenly on the cross, as you come down, off a sinking ship,” feels like a fight between morals and desires, a battle many of us currently have making it very relatable and personal to the listener.
The third track Themes slows everything right down, calming and melodic the guitars and vocals become one ached voice feeling like the battle from the previous songs no longer matter. There are bigger questions out there that Sam Murphy plays with, perhaps love has finally caught up? However, as the song progresses something darker seems to be leaking in, a quiet desperation that starts to reverberate against every wall, growing louder and more aggressive with each note, until everything bursts and the band smash back into distortion and pain, and personal favorite from this album.
Track four, Calvin, is short, sharp and loud. No mucking around just straight forward chaos, great riffs and catchy melodies, nothing more nothing less, just what you need.
A continuation of the first track’ Trio 2 seems to be every bit more dissonant and messier than Trio 1, brutal and ugly, it makes it feel like the path forward has been desecrated and in its place is hopeless longing.
Rot is a perfect name for this next one, it starts similarly to Themes, with beautifully constructed arrangements vocals and feel, Simple yet hypnotic. It lies somewhere between the blooming of flowers in spring and the decay of leaves in autumn, being alone and wanting to be alone. That is until the outro, which can only be described as watching your best friend move away not knowing if you’ll ever see them again. Destructive and unapologetic, a masterclass in creating anxiety from soundwaves.
Rosary is a massive song, wide open and emotional with its raw sound. It cuts deep and leaves a lasting impression, this is the pinnacle of the album and what it’s all been leading up to, and it doesn’t disappoint.
Soft and delicate’ A River Runs Through plays with just guitar and voice. Beautiful harmonies flow like water giving us a brief glimpse into the more vulnerable side of the band, making me want more from this angle of their lives, a moment in time worth staying for.
Which leads us into the final piece…Anything Can Be A Hammer…rounding out this story the way it started, dissonant, ignorant and unbothered. Almost purposefully de-tuning the instruments to really drill in the message of “sometimes there is no happy ending” and they twisted and bent it right in.
Overall this album has you hooked from start to finish. A roller-coaster of emotions that spirals ever downwards plunging you into all those insecurities and doubts in the back of your mind, pulling them all to the surface and forcing you to meet them face to face. The songs’ progressions, lyrics, melodies and perfectly timed silences are fantastically written, truly an art form they’ve already mastered in their careers. It’s a story of raw, reckless desires fighting with every moral, trying to find balance in a riptide of human impressions. This is an album I highly recommend having in your arsenal.
LOCHLAN L.W
Anything Can Be A Hammer is out Oct 17 on Good English Records
