The newest release from the Los Angeles-based quartet Frankie and the Witch Fingers is an amalgamation of their varied influences as proto/post-punk mingles with psych rock and afrobeat from measure to measure throughout Data Doom.
Co-founders Dylan Sizemore (vocals, guitar) and Josh Menashe (lead guitar, synth) welcome newcomers bassist Nikki “Pickle” Smith (formerly of Death Valley Girls) and drummer Nick Aguilar (Mike Watt) into the fold, and the resulting nine songs are a whirlwind of sonic delights.
The record kicks off with a trio of the group’s strongest offerings as opener “Empire” sets the genre-mashing tone of the record. The long revving rock intro digs into afrobeat repetition with post-punk spiced dance grooves before the crunchy guitars and banging drums soar to an almost heavy metal-like finale. That genre is explored even deeper on “Electricide” which winningly plays like a High on Fire number, channeling both Motorhead and Black Sabbath while the shifting proto-punk of “Burn Me Down” feels inspired by Fear of Music era Talking Heads, only with a rocket up its ass.
The first three tunes come out of the gate roaring, and the bar is set high, but then the band moves into tripped-out-groove-mode for “Syster System” which disrupts that rampaging vibe for a chilled-out dose of psych rock that runs on too long. The group also feels a touch one note on the synth-heavy repetitiveness of “Futurephobic”.
The best efforts are when the band allows all of their influences to meld together. “Weird Dog” pumps up the jam, injecting sax work and a scorching guitar solo from Menashe to the afrobeat/post-punk world while also delivering slamming drums from Aguilar. The digital bleeps, congas, and cool groove of “Doom Boom” use infectious baselines from Smith while “Mild Davis” is a wild trip from the start. The group frankensteined a tune that uses a driving bass line, exploring synths, languid/heavy drumming, and revved-up guitars for one hell of a joyride.
The high points are truly soaring on Data Doom, as an energized Frankie and the Witch Fingers use the groove and aggression of a new low-end combination to launch from, crafting dynamic, unique, stratosphere-spanning offerings.
