EP Review: PLANTS – Vacuumed Half To Deaf

What do you do when the when someone starts vacuuming in the studio where you’re recording your latest EP, Laugh? Ask them politely, or impolitely, to stop? Get annoyed? The response you wouldn’t expect is to name your latest release after the incident and incorporate it into the EP, but that’s what Sydney, Australia’s PLANTS have done on their freshly released seven track sophomore EP, “Vacuumed Half To Deaf”, that is out now via via Riot Records. “Vacuumed Half To Deaf” is recorded live with just a few vocal and guitar overdubs as the only nods to studio trickery, the only other special effect is that track one is the actual vacuuming of the the studio whilst the band were recording the EP. I suppose if you’re going to go with a theme you might as well do it properly, and that’s what PLANTS have done on “Vacuumed Half To Deaf”.

From the second track the housework stops and you get six tracks of punk rock, from the dirty fuzzed out ‘Stoned At Breakfast‘, ‘High On The Weekend‘ and ‘Say It My Face‘, through the furious ska punk of ‘Friend‘ and the short sharp, and less than subtle, duo of ‘Ripped My Banjo String‘ and ‘Cunts Fucked‘. PLANTS follow in the tradition of some of the best Australian punk outfits, in particular Cosmic Psychos and The Chats spring to mind, but also counterparts from across the Pacific Ocean such as Guttermouth and The Vandals. PLANTS have the same short and to the point approach to songs as those bands, the seven tracks are delivered in around thirteen minutes, everything is also delivered with an irreverent and distinctly blunt sense of humour. If you’re looking for something sensitive and thoughtful then look elsewhere, if you want some short fast punk rock that doesn’t take itself too seriously and is delivered just as it oughta be, then get yourself “Vacuumed Half To Deaf”

“Vacuumed Half To Deaf ” can be streamed and purchased here