Based in Northern Virginia, The Moonbugs have been making intricate indie rock for several years now and have performed at popular DC area venues like The Galaxy Hut and DC 9.
Their latest release “Chaotically…” features seven action packed tracks that mix desolate and melodic guitars, gliding bass lines and pin point drumming alongside a melancholy post punk vocal approach. Think Sonic Youth meeting up with The House Of Love for a friendly chat backstage at a Wedding Present show.
Opening piece “Strangler” has a deep shoegaze influence on it fueled by a Kevin Shields type divebomb guitar attack but with a more straight forward foundation. It’s a truly beautiful piece that’s full of melodic bliss wrapped in just the right amount of chaos.
“Punkista” is upbeat and aggressive with lots of bashing on the drums and layers of full on feedback and noise, while “Look Away” is more stripped down and minimal but is also “left of center” in the best way possible.
Then we get to “Delimondo” which takes us back to the days of “Nowhere” era Ride and Chapterhouse. There’s a nice bit of swagger and sway that flows through the track with it’s jangling guitars and shuffling beat. It’s my favorite song on the record and is sure to delight even the pickiest of post punk fans.
Other highlights include the doomy gloomy appeal of “Us” and the records closing track “Explosions In Disguise”. Both add a bit of a gothic side to the mix that blends perfectly with their indie rock and shoegaze sounds.
Overall this is a true gem of a record that harnesses equal amounts of grit and bite with quality songwriting and stellar production. Highly recommended Give it a listen here.
