Posted on: February 1, 2011 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

”Robot Crazy” is a good start for “First Human Beings”, as it establishes The Psycho Nubs as fans of Fugazi, Husker Du, and The Pixies. The driving beat of the track has punk influences, but is something that is much more moderated than most of the punk acts out on the market. After this quick introduction, something quicker hits listeners during “Promenade”. This track is something that follows all the trends of punk music perfectly; three chords, a slightly-snotty set of vocals (along the style of The Vandals and Anti-Flag), and a funny set of circumstances (again, The Vandals and The Aquabats).

Each of the tracks on “First Human Beings” hovers around about a minute and a half; twenty tracks here go by in thirty-seven minutes. The production does not have much in the way of bells and whistles, but this is just done to allow the bands to shine on their own merits.

What The Psycho Nubs do with “First Human Beings” is create a style that allows them to bail out of a track if things get repetitious much; this repetition is something that just does not happen as the band tries to add different styles in each and every track on the disc. The halting style of “How It Started” is something that has a parallel in early Talking Heads and Wall of Voodoo, but The Psycho Nubs use it to drastically change the overall sound of the disc. In much the same way, the increased role of the vocals in creating the harmony on “Johnny Kicks” keeps individuals guessing what exactly is next for the band on the disc. Everything that the band attempts during “First Human Beings” goes off well, with the ultimate result of this ever-shifting style being the fact that The Psycho Nubs create a great album here. There are enough nods to the past that the overall sound of “First Human Beings” is something out of mid-nineties Lookout Records (just listen to the catchy but slightly depressing tone of “Killing The Grind” to hear what I’m talking about), but The Psycho Nubs have enough talent to make this a current album that speaks well to current fans. Most bands would not be able to carry twenty songs on their albums, a feat that The Psycho Nubs do without breaking even the slightest sweat. Here’s to hoping that listeners can hear more of The Psycho Nubs in the future.

Top Tracks: Killing the Grind, Promenade

Rating: 7.4/10

The Psycho Nubs – First Human Beings To Die On The Moon / 2005 Self / 20 Tracks / http://www.psychonubs.com / [email protected] / Reviewed 20 April 2006

[JMcQ]

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