The musician born Ben Friars-Funkhauser spent his formative years in the Pacific Northwest’s DIY scene, then plunged headfirst into SoundCloud-era alternative rap as a member of the collectives Thraxxhouse and GothBoiClique. Still, even as a beatmaker for the likes of Lil Peep (whose GOTH ANGEL SINNER project he produced in its entirety), fish narc’s trademark was his use of live guitar rather than samples. Since he debuted as a solo artist with 2020’s WiLDFiRE, the musician has been steadily returning to his punk rock roots—in particular, the sounds of his native Northwest. Uncle is fish narc’s third release for K Records, the storied Olympia, Washington, indie label founded by Beat Happening’s Calvin Johnson. (We hear from Johnson briefly in a voicemail snippet: “You’re probably off in the woods somewhere…”) Recorded and produced by Alex Farrar, who manned the boards for MJ Lenderman’s Manning Fireworks and Wednesday’s Bleeds, it’s a full-circle moment—11 tracks of textured rock and power pop, steeped in the PNW’s damp and cloudy atmosphere.