Auxes
Ichkannnichtmehr (2010)
Brian Shultz
Auxes is the newest project for Dave Laney, who you might know from progressive punk-influenced indie rockers like Milemarker and Challenger. The band's sophomore full-length, Ichkannnichtmehr (long title: Panic Attacks + Other Ill-Fated Attempts at Self-Annihilation), however, is rock 'n' roll-charged punk that links wailing, rumbling riffs (Ã la Young Livers) with a bit of craggy, forward thrust (think Hour of the Wolf). You might even refer to them as a looser Hot Snakes.
Ichkannnichtmehr's first few tracks quickly lay the groundwork for the sound. It's aggressive, it's pointed, and it's layered in a way that's just short of baffling. But there are tracks to space out the rock. "Breathe! Breathe! Doctor! Doctor!" cuts through with a few more abrasive guitar tones and a purposefully sloppier, first-take feel, while "Second Shift," even with its gravelly yelps, feels like a mid-section cool-down to wrap up the first half-ish.
The second half's standouts come with "Bump in the Night," a "whoa-oh"-laden romp with crucial stop-start riffs, the vaguely more optimistic vibe on the verses of "Hit 'em When They're Down."
Ichkannnichtmehr doesn't always feel like the freshest, most exciting take on its particular style, but it compels enough throughout its half-hour-long-plus course, and makes for a satisfying entry to Laney's ever-expanding catalogue.