California beach-punk trio turns decidedly noir “I’ve been hanging around this ugly town,” intones a thoroughly fed-up Jennifer Clavin two tracks into L.A.-based distaff melodic punk trio Bleached’s sophomore effort. “Trying to find myself again … I’ve been getting high every night/Trying to lose myself again.” On Welcome The Worms, she and sibling Jessie channeled a bummer year—bad romance, eviction, chemical-and-alcohol-fueled dissipation—into a potent set of tunes.
The bouncy, crunchy pop that’s always characterized them now features some minor-key dread serving as ballast, thickening the already fuzzy guitars and making the drums slam even harder. The results resemble the Go-Go’s having a really hard time and writing songs with their therapist. Three tracks in, on “Sleepwalking,” Clavin declares, “The sun don’t always shine when you’re not alive/But now my eyes are open wide.” It’s almost enough to wish continual bad luck upon Bleached, to keep getting music this good.
—Tim Stegall
