As endearing nominally as it was – and remains – musically, Mothers’ When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired delighted, tugging at your heartstrings like a neglected toddler longingly grasping at any which bit of parental garment within reach. But Blame Kit, taken from Kristine Leschper & Co.’s forthcoming sophomore full-length Render Another Ugly Method, is the incontestable sound of the Athens, Georgians having all grown up: incomparably more complex (and, at times, perplexing), Leschper’s vocal is phased and unfamiliar for it, as bright, sprightly guitar lines belie lyrics concerning exhaustion. It is, to all intents and purposes, very much evocative of Viet Cong – if only for a minute or so, before any prior, post-punky rigidity is broken by a less brittle, if more recognisable latter three-quarters. Probably not the beginnings of a so-called ‘break-through’ release then, but with John Congleton on production duties, it’s shaping up to be a particularly appealing one nonetheless.
Render Another Ugly Method is available from September 7th via ANTI- Records.