Shearing Pinx

Those who enjoy subjecting themselves to 15 minutes of indulgent, atonal amusement will certainly find their fix with this seven-inch from one of Vancouver’s foremost art punk outfits, released on Halifax’s Divorce label. The seven-minute-long A side "Negaman” launches directly into a rhythmic burst of punk that quickly falls apart at the seams, plummeting into a spiral of guitar feedback and jarring delay. Enjoyment can be found in the subsiding noise of the track and return to the rhythmic motifs found at the beginning. The delightful commotion persists on side B with a pair of barely more structured pieces. The closing track is a live number showing that the band can get some genuinely cool live sounds out of their amplifiers and generate a positive crowd reaction. On Haruspex, Shearing Pinx come across as more abrasive than many of their colleagues (Silver Daggers, Mika Miko), which is impressive considering they sport only two guitar players, one of whom contributes vocals, along with a drummer/noisemaker. This, combined with a blithe musical approach and attitude, makes this bit of wax a lot of fun to listen to.