There is a lot to be said for brevity. Sure, double albums have their place in the world of music, but when an album clocks in under 30 minutes, it arguably makes a more lasting impression.
As with their previous material, the fifth album by Canadian punk-rock band White Lung may be going for the “short, sharp shock” approach, but its 10 tracks spread across 29 minutes and 30 seconds are unfortunately lacking in originality and bite.
The Vancouver trio led by Mish Barber-Way veer perilously close to the “lite” brand of punk peddled by emo/rock acts such as Paramore and nu-metal-tinged band Evanescence. It is most keenly felt in songs such as Hysteric and the brisk bustle of If You’re Gone.
As pleasant and toe-tappy as they may be, there’s nothing barbed or provocative about lyrics — for example, on Date Night: “I’m on a date with god, and he’s drunk/ He took me back to his Cadillac, singing Hank all the way” (Date Night).
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Under Glass shows more promise with its considered 1980s teen-movie montage vibe, while the nightmarish, atonal bristle of Girl is infinitely more interesting amid the plodding, uninspiring soundscape of whirlwind drumming and intricate guitar riffs.
This inoffensive yet entirely forgettable record feels twice as long as its running time suggests. It so happens that this is the trio’s final album — it’s just a shame they’ve bowed out with a whimper, rather than a snarl. Whitelung.ca
