Shooting At Unarmed Men – Yes! Tinnitus
At the turn of the year 2005 Jonathon Chapple split with his old band Mclusky. One of Wales’ best indie rock exports, Mclusky layered scratchy punk rock vocals over loud guitars and branded the world with their messy brand of Pixies-influenced punk. In 2002, Mclusky created a collection of fast-paced punk-rant songs that were assembled and would make up the critically acclaimed “Mclusky Do Dallas” album. While it never reached commercial heights, it was generally agreed by critics that “Mclusky Do Dallas” was a brilliant mix of punk, grunge and scathing ear-busting chaos.
Fast forward three years and Mclusky have broken up. Rising from the unwholesome ashes is Shooting at Unarmed Men, Jonathon Chapple new side-project. Chapple and his new band mates released an EP in 2005 and then headed down to Australia to escape the harsh realities found in their war-ravaged homeland of Wales. Maybe the sprawling deserts and kangaroo sightings fucked around with Chapple’s head as the new album to be released May 22nd 2006 entitled Yes! Tinnitus marks a marked change in his songwriting. Gone are the indecipherable distortion-ladened chords. Yes! Tinnitus is mainly laced with bass hooks and riffs that sloppily glide along one note at a time. The leaves of brutal chaos that fell from the Mclusky tree have become more coniferous, allowing the listener to decipher some of the shouts and the screams that pour from their speakers.
While these leaves still fall in random sadistic patterns over the forest floor, the frantic melodies of the last few Mclusky records have also been cleaned up. A notable example is the closing track “In-Flight Instructions are a Joke, Say I.” What might be the strongest track on the album bounces along with a sing-along melody not unlike one found in the catalogues of Nirvana or The Smashing Pumpkins. Its slow steady riff marches in a straight line while the vocal hook takes control and creates what has the potential to be a minor hit single.
But Instead of taking my yet-to-be published advice, Chapple and co. decided to release the testosterone-oriented “Music Made for Girls,” as the first single. A strong effort, “Music made for Girls” introduces various guitar lines riding the tail of a steady bass line eventually exploding into a distorted jam. Many songs on the album follow this blueprint, and herein lies its weakness. Several of the songs are too similar in tempo, instrumentation and style. While the hooky songwriting may keep you in for the first few numbers, the lack of melody and variety weaken the album to a point where you almost wish you could rock out to the fuzz of an old Mclusky record. Overall, Yes! Tinnitus is by no means a failure, but the only song that stands out as a solid highlight is the closer In-Flight Instructions are a Joke, I Say. And while weak tracks on the album are few, too many rest in limbo between mediocre and acceptable for this record make it’s mark on the ever-shifting indie-rock landscape.
By Ryan Tolusso
