King Tuff’s
self-titled sophomore release on Sub Pop is not what it appears to be. It
appears to be some crude spoof on the stoner rock Kyle Thomas purveyed (w/ Jay Mascis
on drums, no less) with the band Witch. On the cover a devil-bat wields what looks to be a
Gibson SG in one claw and a five-pointed star wand in the other. Ooh – Wee –
Ooh.
King Tuff’s debut record Was Dead, a mid-fi feast of sharp pop songs buried under de rigueur distortion, established an audience for Thomas’s trashed out recycling of classic rock moves. Was Dead got frequent, not unreasonable comparisons to similar works by garage like Ty Segall and Jay Reatard.
Of course
with Melted and Watch Me Fall, Seagall and Reatard (respectively) made moves toward
greater production clarity and songs bordering on pop-rock convention. With King Tuff, Thomas (with Magic Jake on
bass and Kenny on drums) staggers past such peers, making a small rock ‘n’ roll
masterpiece. This, of course, is bound to alienate some of the distortion is
God crowd. Theirs’ are crocodile tears, really; this record sacrifices nothing
whatsoever in energy or attitude.
The Ramones weren’t trying to make shitty
sounding records. The Clash weren’t trying to make shitty sounding records. I’m
not sure when the sub-garage ethic became the currency for bratty bands, but
it’s a fashion that’s run its course.
Speaking of
the Ramones, Thomas has Dee Dee Ramone’s deadpan ability to say what’s on his
mind. The loser anthems on King Tuff make
consistent reference to outsider status. On “Alone and Stoned” Thomas bluntly
asserts that “all his friends” are just that. “Everywhere I Go I am a Stranger”
laments “Stranger.” “Loser’s Wall” – okay, not a lot of explication required.
For “Evergreen,” which bears more than a bit of resemblance to Deerhunter,
Thomas presumes peace will find him “only when I die,” and sings with
resignation that “I’m not really here.” A Bo Diddley throb is the foundation
for “Unusual World’s” assertion of isolation and independence, the band
sounding a little like the Sleepy Jackson. Get the picture? Yes, you see.
What
prevents King Tuff from becoming a
cartoon version of post-teen angst is the variety and deceptive depth of its
music. At Detroit's Malcolm X Academy (nifty studio name), producer Bobby Harlow and Thomas crafted a rough, but
sparkling diamond. The band is a classic rock magpie, and arrangement details
abound; “Alone and Stoned” concludes with an acapella repeat of the song’s
first line, capping off a satisfying T. Rex/Beach Boys hybrid. “Loser’s Wall”
opens with chords borrowed from the Kinks’ “Till the End of the Day,” goes all
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash” over the breaks, and Thomas’s vocal delivery is pure, laconic
Thurston Moore. “Bad Thing” features close harmony vocals on the verse,
transitioning to Daltrey screams on the chorus. “Loser’s” and “Bad” both have
ingenious, beautifully developed guitar solos. Thomas is no slouch on the
instrument he mythologizes (“when I play my Stratocaster”) on the latter song.
