Album Review: 1994! - Fuck It

Album Rating: B+

1994! is a band that is hard to describe and place into any one specific genre or area. The two piece from Lancaster, Penn. plays their own version of punk, infused with what many call "emo-revival." The kicker though, is that 1994! more often than not, turns up the speed to 11. The band has perfected a certain chaotic, ferocity of drums and noodled guitar lines, accented with aggressive yet emotive vocals. Their new LP, Fuck It, which the band recorded while on tour in Europe, on an iPhone, showcases the raw intensity and power of the duo.

In case you missed it in the first paragraph, Fuck It was recorded on an iPhone. An iPhone. No mixing, or mastering, or studio tricks. This therefore results in a very gritty and raw sounding recording, although after a minute or so your ears do adjust and appreciate the sound. For being recorded by this method, the record sounds pretty good. The drums have an extra boost of intensity and the guitar is edgy yet precise. 1994!'s vocals have always been somewhat muddled under the music, and this album is no different, but the vocals come out clear even through the simple recording technique.

While the track list is somewhat short, and features two brief instrumental, filler pieces, the songs flow nicely together. It might have been more apt to have been an EP rather than a full length though. Songs are bubbling with emotion and energy nonetheless, and the band sounds as set and focused as ever. Approaching Fuck It as an intimate look into the band, almost as a "fly on the wall during practice" way. It reveals the true talent of the group, under such minuscule editing and tweaking, and goes to show that true punk doesn't need to be the best sounding thing in the universe.

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Track List:

1. Untitled 1
2. I, I, I, Me, Me, Me
3. Never Into It, Definitely Over It
4. Apologetically American
5. From Decay
6. Untitled 2
7. Non Multa, Sed Multum