"Wild Psychotic Sounds" is a sort of 12" sneak peek at the upcoming full-length record from Dublin's THE THINGS. Yes, this is a punk band and yes, they are from Ireland. But anyone expecting loutish pub anthems for the next fraternity party can cross this band off their list.

The brief EP of garagey horror charms represents a mixed bag. Some of the material like "Horror Story", moves along with a sort of uninspired late-period RAMONES gallop, complete with keys but low on interesting hooks. About half of the EP is truly enjoyable, with tracks "Lalalala" and "Going Home" recalling classic gut-level garage rock of the early 80s like THE NOMADS and early CRAMPS. It's obvious that these guys have what it takes to create winning records, and Big Neck's taste in artists is customarily razor-sharp, so it's probably a goood idea to keep an eye on this band. Hopefully, they'll leave the dull stuff in the jam room and include more of the charismatic tracks like those mentioned above for the next full album.

- Marchman

OFFICIAL SITE: myspace.com/thethings

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