Collin Thibodeauxx made the lo-fi soundtrack to the best nights of your youth. Sometimes supercharged and sometimes drifting, the gritty, guitar pop of his debut EP, nothing buttrock, is empathetically frank and unavoidably addictive. The collection features a timely use of repetition and clever collisions of Thibodeauxx’s twangy tone of voice with nearly bending guitar riffs. Clocking in at just under fifteen minutes, the EP is made of slant rhymes and blatant thoughts that come alive half spoken against distorted guitar lines, all slowly climbing in intensity.
The EP is at its finest when the riff theme in each song digs in with fervor. Easing along bright basslines and syncopated guitar, “cold turkey” and “tame” showcase Thibodeauxx’s lighter side in soft vocals and a gently swirling atmosphere. “nudes” (with that slapped bass) and “chilling” grip tightly onto their respective choruses, packing a memorable punch with loud guitars and just a few words. Layers of all different textures really invigorate the chant-like “designated driver.” But, it was “get sum” that seemed to pull away from the pack immediately as my personal favorite track. The oscillation of that particular riff almost reminds me of The Beastie Boys in the best possible way. As a whole, the track seems to invert the strengths of verses and chorus in comparison to the rest of the EP, echoing amongst itself before fading out on one note.
nothing buttrock is out now digitally on (the one and only) Citrus City Records with tapes soon to come.
Favorite Tracks: get sum, chilling, nudes
