Gary War

Under the wickedly cryptic title of 'Police Water', Gary War delivers his latest psych-pop dazzler on Sacred Bones - also including the two tracks from his 'Reality Protest' 7". Just as everyone begins to catch up with his brilliant body of work from the last two years, he goes and switches up his sound with reinvigorated song structures, a broader tonal palette and far, far tighter rhythm programming. Don't worry, though, he's not lost the inexplicable post-apocalyptic weirdness, it's just become more confident and even more hooky, still rushing headlong through the fields of chillwave and outsider pop on a trajectory to F*ck Know's place. 'Born Of Light' offers the first signs of a clear evolution with less linear, more dynamic arrangement, yet still conveying the same lost-in-the-space station emotions. Further in, 'On It's Head' has the urgency and future yearning pangs of those tracks from the brilliant 'Manderinen Traume' comp of former Soviet Bloc electronics, and 'Grounds For Termination' hits a purposeful stride of upbeat EBM-ish pulses, the ideal soundtrack for men/women who've got something important to do, and need to do it fast. Add on the cyber-punky propulsion of 'Sirens' and the warped dramas of the two bonus tracks and you've got one of the best wave records of the year. Totally recommended!