Absolutely Not are absolutely fab. After a few promising EPs of glammed-up garage-punk, the Chicago band is set to release Errors,its spastic and ridiculously fun debut full-length. This is a punk record dialed into an alien frequency with a heavy production that makes the spare instrumentation (guitar, keyboards, drums) sound like a spaceship crashing into Earth.
Absolutely Not draws on the perverse punk of Blood Brothers and Devo's overcaffeinated pop sensibility for the new track, "Strictly Top." It's a campy two-minute crunch, but there are some compact songwriting chops at play from guitarist and vocalist Donnie Moore. The bouncy riff and squiggly keyboard don't overstay their snotty welcome, and the song's soaring shout-along, "You got a problem with me?" is wink and a middle finger.
"'Strictly Top' is a celebration of outsiders, artists, bold personalities of the Chicago night life, and most importantly ACCEPTANCE," Moore tells NPR Music in an email. "Shot like a CoverGirl commercial from Mars, the video is all about being yourself, and expressing your inner and outer beauty however you feel most comfortable. The song itself leans more towards a humorous 'Don't judge me!' declaration of LGBTQ sexuality in 2017."
Errors comes out July 28 via No Trend.
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