Losers (Independent)

Bleach Babes is a self-described pop-punk band, but you wouldn’t guess it from the first number on its debut album, Losers. The cut in question, “Slush”, unleashes a series of guitar salvos swathed in Star Trek phaser effects and glammy drums that put it more in league with that Dr. Who/“Rock and Roll, Part 2” mashup than with, say, Best Coast. Despite the out-there intro, the band reveals its punky nature in the rest of the affair.

“Kaleidoscope” bashes by on crunchy hooks and manic go-go beats, as singer Phil Chornohus’s lazy, post-Cobain drawl dishes on sunsets and making amends. The instrumental “Sandbox” ups the Nirvana quotient, with its sole riff sounding sneakily similar to “Drain You”, though it retains a slack, out-of-tune charm of its own.

The supremely casual spirit generally works in the trio’s favour. The deceptively titled “Basement Thrash” is a ragtag, midpaced rocker that hangs on just long enough to unravel a seriously catchy chorus. The anything-goes vibe falls flat, however, when the band doesn’t focus on the melodies. “Super 6”, with its clunky caveman chord progression and Chornohus’s unrefined falsetto, sounds like it was whipped up in under five minutes. But besides a few missteps, Losers has some roughed-up gems.