Sharkmuffin, the duo of Tarra Thiessen and Natalie Kirch, released their sophomore LP Tsuki in early May before hitting the road for a UK tour. The Brooklynites accurately describe their genre as “opti-mystic glam-grunge” and plan to one day serve cocktails and ice cream from the world’s first punk-rock brunch truck. (Sign us up.)
Tsuki is equal parts angsty and danceable, the soundtrack to your 2017 punk-rock summer. The distortion-riddled, wailing vocals combined with thrumming basslines throughout the record harken back to ‘90s riot grrrl with a dash of White Blood Cells-era White Stripes.
The opening line of the album sets the tone, “Don’t worry about shit, let’s just go have a fun time!” and “Space Glow” hits the ground running from there. The deadpan and desperate “I Wanna Be You” leads into “Atama,” an unsettling track that marks the midway point of Tsuki. “Leather Gloves” and “Puppy Love” are each highpoints of the album, both tenacious and gritty.
Tsuki winds down with the raw, almost completely instrumental ode to the X-Files, “Scully Is a Sharkmuffin,” before “Sweet Tea” ends the album with a lullaby for the end of a night out.
A natural progression from their debut album Chartreuse, Tsuki retains the the band’s unapologetic garage rock while displaying a fine element of finesse. It’s a complex album—a fresh take on alt grunge with notes of beach pop and new wave rock strewn through.
Enter to win Sharkmuffin’s Tsuki on vinyl by streaming the tracks above and pointing to your favorite in the comments below. One enthusiastic entrant with a North American mailing address will be chosen on Monday, June 12, 2017. Winners are notified directly via email.
