In the Red

Four full-lengths in, Tvyek hardly have the art of joyous anarchy down to a science – because that would be antithetical – but the Detroit quartet certainly know a few arrangement tricks when it comes to conveying it. Oversaturation continues to serve the band well, applied to vocals ( “Little Richard” ), guitars ( “City of a Dream” ) and general ambience ( “Efficency” ). Leader Kevin Boyer
continues to tap a strategic melodic reserve somehow yet unsucked by his indie-punk brethren, slop-rock blasts coming unmoored amid deep fuzz and purest song-gunk. Boyer’s voice is cool in the pre-hipster sense, possessed of an innate, knowing amusement that transforms pop profundities like “don’t say ‘no’/ just say ‘yeah’/ yeah, yeah, yeah” ( “Say Yeah” ) and stoner remembrances ( “Midwest Basements” ) into elegant realizations of far deeper rites.