Upchuck – I’m Nice Now (Domino) (13th Floor Album Review)
Upchuck’s third album, I’m Nice Now, is less an actual truce than a strategic, calculated feint. Frontwoman Kaila “KT” Thompson and the band haven’t shed their rage; they’re simply channeling it with greater focus.
This Atlanta, Georgia quintet—featuring Thompson on vocals, guitarists Michael “Mikey” Durham and Alex “Hoff” Hoffman, bassist Armando Arrieta, and drummer Chris Salado—launches an uncompromising diatribe against prejudice, ageism, and power hoarding across the entire record. While a constant verbal assault could become repetitive, the band avoids this fatigue by deploying clever shifts in time signatures, diverse instrumentation, and standout moments, such as the bed of acoustic guitar on the potential crossover hit, New Case.
The album’s foundation is the tremendous talent of KT, a melodic singer and powerful voice who details trauma and social critique. This is complemented by drummer/vocalist Chris Salado, who supports in Spanish, taking the lead on the vital Un Memento as he implores, “Give me a moment to suffer, give me a moment to live , give me a moment to think, give me a moment to fly.”
Helmed again by producer and fuzz king Ty Segall, the production sounds raw and ferocious—fuzzy bass, roaring guitar pedals, and lead guitar lines that bound and dive on top of the rhythm section. Song lengths, mostly clocking in under the two-minute mark, reflect the sharp, focused energy the Atlanta-based band learned from their early days entertaining skate punks.
Before hearing this, I associated Atlanta only with Hip-Hop, RnB, and Gospel, but this is clearly a band with a thriving punk-rock identity. Songs like Fried and Kin deliver potent salvos of black-flag punk, yet the album also reveals range. Kept In has an early Sabbath-like sludge, while Slow Down blends Pixies-like guitar work with the aforementioned New Case offering a sublime slice of scuzzy pop-punk.
Upchuck defies easy pigeonholing, and that’s their strength. As they continue to tour relentlessly across the US and Europe, it’s clear they’re gathering a massive following. Get on board now and become a first follower. With I’m Nice Now, Upchuck gives you 13 moments of pure intensity—go start living them now.
Rob Jones
I’m Nice Now is out today on Domino Records.
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