So Sick by L.A. based rock duo Repenter has got the feral heavy metal / post punk flesh and bones that instantly and intensely sent shivers skating up my skin. It is one of those short bursts of rock that you simply can't, CANNOT, turn up loud enough. My mouth dropped open when I heard Holly Winter's vocal performance. Her aesthetic, that seems so naturally abrasive (in the best possible way), erupts over a musical rock bed with crunchy guitar provided by her partner in crime Thomas Scriven. The music has (to me) a decidedly muscular 80's / early 90's / blend of iconic outfits like Thin Lizzy, Quiet Riot, Janes Addiction (to name a few) and Winter's vocal sound- so exquisitely bad ass made me think of a blend of Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders) and Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde). I have always contended that vocal character supersedes vocal chops when it comes to a truly gripping rock voice and while Winter has both, the character of her sound feels so potent while feeling a bit road worn at the same time. She has an iconic raw, real sound that can't be faked or learned and I love that.
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"So Sick" is a sardonic examination of the vanity of influencer culture as seen through the insightful eyes of these L.A. transplants. Repenter call out the selfie driven society we live in and the unfulfilled emptiness it's left the world with. This leaves us with the hitting single "So Sick" - a song produced the way that rock bands they respect made records, live to tape, which is a lost art. Holly adds, "I was writing for myself and anyone else that needs heartburn relief from overexposure to today's social media shitshow grab bag."
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The duo's upcoming EP is due out this fall and I can't wait.
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Robb Donker
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