Brazilian punkers The Pessimists will invade Hattiesburg for a romp at Spice World on May 12.
The band touts a melodic, bass-heavy sound that incorporates occasional gang vocals and noise samples. In short, their songs are quick and easy to swallow, making for an exceptionally accessible listen for anyone new to the idea of punk.
“In The Beginning There Was…,” the first album in their discography, breaks genre conventions from the outset with “Robotics in Service.” The track is 58 seconds of slow power like a semi-truck rolling through traffic. The vocal duo on guitar and bass, merely referred to as M and F on Bandcamp, voice their thoughts on the nine-to-five capitalist trappings of mundane livelihoods. The subject is nothing new to music thematically but is not one I or anyone else can readily dismiss. Instrumentation reflects subject matter, heavy drums and bass marching steadily forward.
Things ramp up and get even more interesting at the album’s second number, which feels something like a continuation in terms of instrumentation.
“A lot of surfers smoking crack / And old people running healthy / Let’s get rid of the summer,” M and F yell.
I can’t help but love this one. I have a soft spot for songs about hating the summertime.
Tracks “Fixed” and “Working” seem similarly conjoined, “Working” picking the nine- to-five theme up again. The songs offer a darker sound than previous, which is a welcome turn.
Jump to “It’s All Ok!,” my favorite Pessimists track at present. The track’s optimism, though nuanced, adds a certain anthemic brilliance to the album:
“To all the crap that they threw at me / That’s fine, I’ve blocked my feelings / I close my eyes and I can’t sleep / 100 percent bullshit free.” Listeners get a taste of phaser layered over the guitar, which adds to the album’s charming eccentricity.”
The Pessimists will likely be talked about for months after they depart. Their sound has that perfect dirty appeal the local punk music community loves to seek out. For more information or to give the group a listen, visit theepessimists.bandcamp.com.
