Violent Soho - Waco (2016) Lossless

After their career-making 2013 LP Hungry Ghost, Violent Soho return tighter and sharper, though Luke Boerdam’s gritty whine is still instantly familiar against those volcanic choruses. The Australian quartet’s fourth album takes loving cues from alt-rock’s glory days: “Viceroy” bridges the gap between Pixies and Nirvana, and “Evergreen” echoes Foo Fighters’ “Everlong”. But every thrashing riff is anchored with bruising emotion, making the lyrics hit just as hard as the hooks. Even when slowing down on closer “Low,” Violent Soho nail battle-scarred catharsis.