I've often mentioned Glasgow as one of the finest Cities for new bands to come out from and this long, long, long overdue post proves that point futher, North American War have been sitting in my drafts folder since November last year when I obviously first came across them, since memory lapse and a sheer volume of other stuff has happened but I'm making a concerted effort to write up a couple of older posts each week and to keep them coming alongside newer tracks and discoveries which form the basis of much that I write about on the blog / journal of musical nonsense...
North American War released a tape and a 7" last year and it's the sort of fucked up noise that I should be listening to more often if I wasn't continually searching for the next 'thing'. Their chaotic, abrasive soundscapes with take you by the collar and with nonchalant, spoken word vocals interlaced with delicate harmonies it's a pretty unique combination, it's the more recent vinyl release that I'm going to focus on for length and time reasons here - though the tape release is equally recommended.
"Ivory And" instantly provides a pure noise thrill of guitar-based dissonance with a loose structure it's spiky, intense and very, slightly unhinged. The raw energy seeps right through your speakers and hypnotises you to attention, play it loud to doubly piss your neighbour off. "Geraniums on a Spit" is softer and almost lovely, with beautiful harmonies and a jangle pop melody that always threatens to break into the clattering aggression of the a-side but it never quite does, sometimes there is just as much power in restraint after-all.
I couldn't help myself including "Jelly Witch" from their tape below, demented vocal scowls, hard-hitting drums and fuzzy riffs, it's absolutely marvellous. Both releases are available to order direct from NAW via bandcamp - you should do just that.
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