Tense Men – Where Dull Care Is Forgotten

Anyone who’s familiar with Cold Pumas or Sauna Youth, two bands to which Tense Men’s number also belong, will have some idea of what to expect with this mini-album. If that didn’t already suggest it – the gorgeously brutal artwork would act as confirmation. ‘Where Dull Care Is Forgotten’ features six tightly-wound tracks, veering between insistent post-punk, doom-laden repetition and the glorious punk explosion that is closer, ‘Opiate Glow’.

“No control” (‘RNRFON’), “I’m tired of sleeping” (‘Nonentities’), “I don’t wanna know” (‘Opiate Glow’), whether screamed or muttered, the usually distorted vocals spew constant frustration; that these men are tense is no surprise. Whether it’s the minimalist beast that is ‘Lie Heavy (Desperate Times)’, the droning title track, or the scrappy post-punk of opener ‘Stages of Boredom’, Tense Men capture this decade’s recession-hit angst perfectly.