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Purling Hiss

purlinghiss_weirdonPURLING HISS
Weirdon
(Drag City)

As a band name Purling Hiss is a pleasing Spoonerism, nearly as satisfying as when Jeremy Hunt, Cultural Secretary’s name was catastrophically mispronounced by James Naughtie on Radio 4’s Today programme.

Weirdon is also a catchy if not mind boggling title for an album. You wonder what causes a weirdon, and is it something you can hide by crossing your legs. Released at the tail (no pun intended) end of last year on Drag City, this one slipped under the radar, but much like the record by Ultimate Painting – it’s a real grower. Part Archers of Loaf, part Pavement, part Tall Dwarfs, and at its gnarliest Male Bonding, this pop is not just angular it’s so wonky that the shelf holding the vinyl copy has just fallen off the wall of Ikea and squashed your meat balls.

Purling Hiss is basically Mike Polizze, and he makes sounding lop sided effortless even though you know his fretwork is spotless. Easily on a par with recent records by Mikal Cronin and Kelley Stoltz, it’s not razing trees to the ground, it’s not ripping them up, but it is making them bend back like Thunderbird 2 emerging from its Tracy Island lair ready to ping in your face. Like an international rescue from your January stupor.

Weirdon is out now on Drag City.

Nick Hutchings