Sego Sucks

Sego

Roll Call Records, 2019

http://segosucks.com

REVIEW BY: Vish Iyer

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 05/23/2019

It was a hashtag started by a disgruntled audience member at one of Sego’s early shows as a brand new band.

Now, it is the title of this LA outfit’s sophomore release.

It is clear that Sego’s rebut to this insult is to embrace it and own it. But for them to do so, and to not have it backfire, they need to be funny, brash, and entertaining. They are all of this on my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250 Sego Sucks.

Sego Sucks is quirky and super-fun. It starts off with a bang on “Neon Me Out,” which has a Beck-like anti-folk composition and talk-singing, as well as a rousing chorus that could rival a pop song. Same goes with “Shame,” where singer Spencer Petersen’s apathetic singing exists side by side with the song’s fervent screaming chorus.

The best cuts of the record – “Give Me,” “Heart Attack,” and “Whatever Forever” – are catchy pop-punk numbers with frenzy tempos and temperamental guitars that have no hesitation in being messy and cacophonous.

The slower tracks reside on the second half of the disc, which definitely makes it less crazy and mercurial in comparison to the first half. But this does not mean that the second half is any less compelling. “Buy Time” is more close to a regular indie number, with its melodic guitars and reflective mood. “Sucker/Saint” is also similar, with its jangly shimmering guitars and melodic chorus.

“Anvil Hands” and “Coming Home” are the weakest on the record, not because they are not really good songs but because of how normal they sound compared with the rest of the album with their contemplative and melodious guitar pop sounds and simple structures.

There is intelligence hiding behind the cover of inaneness in every track on this album. In this way, Sego Sucks is like a great stand-up comedy show. It is edgy and comical, without going out of control. Most of all, it will keep you hooked from start to finish...Sego most certainly doesn’t suck.

Rating: A-

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


Comments

 








© 2019 Vish Iyer and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Roll Call Records, and is used for informational purposes only.