At 23 minutes from start to finish, Perfect Pussy’s debut record, Say Yes to Love is here for a good time, not a long time. The Syracuse based hardcore five piece have been creating waves over the last couple of years with a unique brand of unrelenting hardcore noise rock helmed by the intense (to say the least) Meredith Graves. The turmoil, the hype and the chaos has now culminated in one of the most intense 20 minutes of music you’ll hear all year.
To say Graves put literally everything into this record would have to be an overstatement – but only just. 300 copies of the vinyl were pressed with drops of her own blood. This dedication to an all-or-nothing attitude bleeds through to the records production as well. A great wall of noise serves as the foundation for Say Yes to Love with frenetic, twisted guitars locked in death spirals as shattering drums and bass guitars battle for airtime in the near distance. Amongst the background cacophony of war, Graves distorted vocals often succumb completely but this feels natural. Intentional even - sometimes in life, you’re just not going to be heard.
If there’s such a thing as a respite on this record, ‘Interference Fits’ would fit the bill. Plucked arpeggios create a melodic hand-hold and a delayed single note outro allows the listener a brief lungful of air before being dragged back under moments later. Say Yes to Love is rock concentrate. Like a cheap tequila shot before a night out, it’ll make your eyes water but you know you’re gonna have a good time.
