Routes, The
In This Perfect Hell
The Routes always seem to be do something different stylistically on every record they release; from their largely R&B influenced debut album "Left My Mind", to the playful US garage drenched "Alligator", to the Strummin Mental madness of the "Instrumentals" album, right up until "Skeletons" in 2016 which saw them on more of a modern garage punk trip. It doesnt seem to matter what they do, and who plays in the band; it still unmistakably sounds like The Routes. "In This Perfect Hell", the fifth album by The Routes, brings you ten original songs. No filler and no covers. From the start, you can tell its not going to be your stereotypical garage album. This time The Routes seemed have strayed far from your average garage bands comfort zone. They have stripped everything right down in the playing department, with leader Chris Jack playing pretty much everything apart from the drums. The stripping down seems to have the opposite effect, of creating a huge, thick, heavy wall of sound. The nasty Japanese fuzz pedals, and very simple guitar leads stab through the wall, and stick into your brain. Its not exactly your typical garage, its not exactly psych; its not exactly any one thing in particular.