Band Of Susans - Hope Against Hope (Album Review)

 

Band Of Susans - Hope Against Hope

(1988)


My copy: 1988 press by Further and Blast First.


Band Of Susans managed to live up to their name with not two, but three Susans (Susan Stenger, Susan Lyall, and Susan Tallman) actually playing in the band, though this would only last for their 1988 debut. More unconventional than the legitimacy of their name, however, is their three-guitar lineup which in theory should have given them an unparalleled sense of density. The sad reality is that the band had yet to find a wholly unique personality, instead flailing at a crossroad between 80s hard rock tropes and actual experimental music. 

The droning feedback of “Not Even Close” sets an expectation along with Robert Pross’s punkish vocal delivery, but the mid-tempo structures halt what could have been an exciting introduction. “Learning To Sin” messes with dissonance in the bassline, and finds a nice balance in the guitar layering that doesn’t feel too cluttered or too traditional. Unfortunately, things fall apart on “Throne Of Blood” where the tones are too ordinary for their punk-rooted riffing to actually feel dangerous. The goal feels confused: is it a run-of-the-mill 80s rock record, or is it actually trying to stand at the cutting edge of shoegaze and post-punk? The answer is unclear with a snoozer like “Throne Of Blood.” The lyrics are also largely forgettable political dross. 

Just as the album loses its way, a light appears in the form of “Elliot Abrams In Hell” which commits fully to industrial guitar retching over a simple rhythm section. The vocals are mostly unconvincing, so the instrumental sections tend to be best for giving full attention to the guitars. The guitar tone sharpens on “All The Wrong Reasons” though the track itself is slower, almost sounding as if Husker Du wrote a pop ballad. “I The Jury” wants to break out with harsher riffs, almost entering the realm of Steve Albini though the dynamics are brutally marred by the simplistic drumming and mid-focused production. 

“No God” is another instrumental, and while it is not as interesting as the earlier “Elliot Abrams In Hell,” it does well to spotlight the weaving guitar compositions. “You Were An Optimist” and “Ready To Bend” are generic drivel but “Hope Against Hope” at least features the only catchy vocal melody of the record near the very end. 

Hope Against Hope contains shallow nods at what the band would later become (in a good way) but in itself is mostly a stumbling identity crisis with an almost unnoticeable gimmick. Later in the band's career, they would embrace the essence of drone and repetition, creating some truly compelling deconstructions of guitar music. The Band Of Susans debut is just barely above par for its style - stick to the British shoegazers of the era or the much more interesting noise/no wave scenes that formed in New York long before this record came about. Or just skip ahead and hear The Word And The Flesh.

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