Album Review: So Pitted - neo
By Jonathan Fuchs, Copy Editor
[Sub Pop; 2016]
Rating: 4/5
Key Tracks: “pay attention to me,” “feed me,” “rot in hell”
Named after the viral video of a warm-hearted surfer with a laid-back attitude, grunge trio So Pitted’s debut album neo feels the exact opposite, going in an abrasive, noisy and hellish direction. Instead of guiding the listener with a recognizable old school grunge-influenced sound, neo invades your personal space and makes the listener uncomfortable with its atmospheric intensity that could only be described as METZ if they kept you locked in their graffiti-covered basement for several weeks.
neo starts off already screaming its lungs out with tracks like “cat scratch” and “pay attention to me.” These introduce the listener to the album’s disgustingly gritty guitar, intense bass line, and vocalist Nathan Rodriguez’s harsh yelling. Although the first half of the record’s abrasiveness brings a lot of originality, its ideas and style begin to run just a little dry, with some of the songs being a bit predictable.
The album keeps the ball rolling with tracks that continue the band’s harsh sound but add more fun, unique rhythms into the record’s formula. These songs are what help keep neo interesting, as they go in another direction the listener wouldn’t expect, keeping their attention on the music. Some of the best tracks on the record, including “feed me,” “rot in hell” and “get out of my room” take place on the second half and contain plenty of these interesting sounds that grab the listener’s attention and make the neo’s experience so unique.
If there was any way to sum up neo, it, like, first hits you with a FWAH-PAHH!! and then it’s all like BWAAAHHH!! and then after that you just jam out to the grooves and get So Pitted. neo is an incredibly surprising album which affects the listener intensely through its aggressive and ferocious sounds. This album has proven itself to be one of the more underrated releases of this year and hopefully So Pitted gets more of the attention it deserves.
