Disgraceland

Editors’ Notes Why it took so long for a lowdown, dirty garage rock band to name an album Disgraceland is a mystery. But the point is that The Orwells have finally done it, and it's a very deserving album indeed. The Chicago band were barely out of high school when they made some impressive noise with their 2012 debut, Remember When, and won David Letterman’s heart with an amusing appearance on his show in early 2013. Disgraceland is exactly what it should be: squalling guitars, crusty distortion, cranium-shattering tom assaults, and efficient melodies that are almost embarrassingly tasty and memorable. Mario Cuomo—whether singing of vomit-choking, motorcycle-crashing, or front-seat automobile-trysting—has an uncanny way of delivering a hooky turn of phrase with a voice hewn out of damp wood soaked in day-old beer. There’s really not a bad track here, but the grinding yowl of “The Righteous One” and the unhinged, relentless pummel of “Who Needs You” could bring Joey Ramone back. Not old enough to drink in most states, The Orwells could show many a grizzled rock band a thing or two.