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LA has seen a glut of Smell bands rise from the dregs of downtown loft shows to blog prominence ‘mdash; and HEALTH is a noise-glam standout.
The foursome melted faces in 2007 with their self-titled debut, finding a balance between all-out squall and spastic post-punk. They even tried their hand at throwback dance remixes on HEALTH//DISCO in 2008, from which they borrow aural cues on sophomore release, Get Color.
Lead single ‘Die Slow’ pulses like any good acid techno track should, but guitar tones expand to bump and grind in detached, sterile fashion, creating a repulsive sexual undertow. In a self-directed clip for the song, supermodels march like coked-out fembots while a mass of bodies writhes in its own blood, the group’s performance driving the spectacle to new levels of gross. While Get Color finds HEALTH using guitar texture and gritty feedback, the group remain within their prescribed genre box, rarely straying from the ghostly vocals and drumline beats that first got them noticed.
Still, on ‘Eat Flesh,’ wonky chords culminate in a more hypnotic and structured whole, as Jake Duzsik’s voice lulls in and out of focus. ‘We Are Water’ lends kraut-rock repetition to a dance-arena buildup, giving HEALTH their first genuine anthem complete with climax and resolution.
Bringing up the rear is minimalist techno track ‘In Violet,’ unnaturally subtle and surprising coming from noisy dudes like these, showing a willingness to tinker with their steez on albums to come.