The genius of this Malmo, Sweden, band is in their artfully sly dumbness. They might want you to think they have the collective I.Q. of a Miss Universe entrant dealing with 'open other end' on both extremities of a bottle, but their brief and weirdly bent tunes (average duration: under two minutes) hide knowing smiles that only strong anti-depressants and regular cognitive therapy from highly-trained medical professionals can bring.
MIlking that metaphor to to ridiculous lengths, you could say - stylistically speaking - that Apa State Mental swing like a bipolar patient off their meds. One minute they're into hardcore punk ("Jacob's Inferno"), the next they're tearing you a new eardrum with melted mind guitar ("Neuman"), riding warped surf ("The Almighty Kong"), locking into a garage groove ("Head, "Idiot"") or referencing "Sister" era Sonic Youth ("59 Hellkittens").
This is Cracked Punk, a sub-variant almost completely of Apa State Mental's own creation. Let's explain....
I took a walk around the neighbourhood
Never came back
Eaten by hippies
...is the full lyrical content of opening track "Eaten By Hippies." In the end, it's all the lyrics the song needs, as it mines a trench of distorted guitar and a mind-blown vocal against a plodding rhythm. Clean guitar solo and then more of the same. So simple, so great.
Apa State Mental do pop as well. "Apa Nation" bounces along on cymbals, a catchy riff and a sing-song chorus. It takes a minute-anda-half. Punky pop done econo style. Apa State Mental are the Minutemen without virtuosity.
Guitarist Pete Mattson holds most of the keys to this swinging party. His persistent attack relies on chunky chording and a delay pedal to drive the songs home. Jacob Zetterholm's vocals are a little more up-front. The overall impact is less off-the-wall than the debut album but Apa State Mental's directness might make "The Reunited Heavy Metal States" a good place for the uninitiated to start.
Your hard-earned will get you 20 tracks, none of them a dud. If you're of those short-attention span fans, the songs' brevity will be the perfect formula. There's no chance for boredom.
If the Hives traded in their white suits at the door for straight jackets, this album would be the soundtrack to the Thorazine kicking in.
1/2
