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October 13, 2024


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This Busy Monster
Fireworks (Barsuk Records)

By: Alex Steininger

Circuses and Amusement Parks, that's what childhood is supposed to be about. Riding the roller coaster, seeing clowns shoot out of canons, eating cotton candy, and just having fun. It's all memories that seem to disappear with age while you try to hold on to them, remember the good, carefree times when life was simple. How come your music never reflected these times?

Well, truth be told, I have never been to the circus. However, I've been to plenty of amusement parks. And, although not many bands can capture the gleefulness of an amusement park or a circus, This Busy Monster do it without missing a beat. Quirky, wild music a la punk rock vaudeville, Fireworks is the type of record that only someone truly in tune with themselves can get.

It's not easily accessible. It's not instantly catchy. It takes time to fully grow on you and develop its master plan. But, once it does, you're hooked. The wild antics, the jarring beats, the off-kilter free form that flows through the songs, and the potent, angst-y lyrics all manage to deliver an album chalk full of amusement and circus fare.

This is the type of guitar-driven indie rock album that people cling to as their gospel, once they've dissed it, dismissed it, and then, finally, caught on to it. I'll give it a B+.

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