We’ll Go Machete - Strong Drunk Hands

I probably should have said something about We’ll Go Machete a couple years ago whenever their first EP was released. I at least hope I gave them some love on a mix way back when, because the more I listen to their debut album Strong Drunk Hands the more I regret remaining mum about them until now. Especially, when it comes right down to it, they sort of represent the period and sound in which this blog was originally based around anyway. Things have changed obviously since then, with sort of stumbling onto a niche and whatnot, but when done right I still have a big old mushy soft spot for bands like We’ll Go Machete that can draw upon the best qualities of post-hardcore and use them in a way that still sounds like a winner today. Plus they are from Austin, TX, which at this point will almost automatically warrant a stamp of approval.

Anyway, yes, We’ll Go Machete are very much a post-hardcore band in the area of all those that you heard throughout the early to mid 90’s. And that’s nice and all, because as we’ve all come to realize is that a lot of those bands were very very good and have been mimicked over the years with wildly mixed results. But I think what I’m really drawn to here is the mixture of Midwestern guitar tones with a more subdued version of all the crazy time signature changes and such. With their latest album We’ll Go Machete isn’t on the same frenetic level of say a Drive Like Jehu, rather the band chooses a more melodic path with large winding/ringing guitars driving the tunes while still working in the some of the more characteristically unbridled spots that come with the territory of the genre. As a result, Strong Drunk Hands is a far more varied/mature album than I was expecting. It almost seems like these guys should have a full-length record or two already to their name, but no, this is it. It’s impressive really. Take a listen, hopefully you’ll feel the same…

We’ll Go Machete – Good Morning Munro (stream)

For those interested in getting a hold of Strong Drunk Hands, I believe it’s only available digitally at the moment through their Bandcamp page. Definitely throw down some cash for it if you like what you hear and check out their first EP while you’re there as well. Enjoy!