Gustaf - Package Pt. 2

The current post-punk revival wasn’t even particularly new when Gustaf released their debut - ‘Audio Drag For Ego Slobs’ - back in the dark days of 2021. So the fact that three years on, there’s a whole new generation of artists peddling pulsing basslines, insistent drums and a vocal delivery which constantly skims the line between deadpan lecturer and inebriated pub ranter, makes it all the easier for the New Yorkers to get lost in the ever-more-overloaded marketplace. Their sonic angst is at its best when jittery and maniacal; the guitar stabs of ‘Weighing Me Down’ make like a clenched jaw in an impressive manner, while ‘Hard Hair’ might not quite reach punk fury but fizzles with life after its somewhat over-egged preceding partner-in-crime, ‘Here Hair’. Wearing their lineage on their sleeves isn’t necessarily a bad thing - vocalist Lydia Gammill frequently channels all the petulance of early Parquet Courts while making good use of James Murphy’s delivery notes (see ‘Close’) - but all too often the requisite repetitiveness of the band’s chosen style swaps potential earworms for boredom (‘What Does It Mean’, ‘Produce’). Its title suggests a sequel and - much like its cinematic siblings - sequels do a roaring trade of the same, but different and again.