Melkbelly - PITH
Several years ago, yours truly held down the job of "Senior Editor" at one of the many nondescript clickbait factories existing at the time. I was stuck in a small glass room with several others in a WeWork and, as we spent the day writing things like "They Thought This Cat Was A Goner. Then They Saw It Move," we often talked about pop culture.
One coworker (that I admittedly often clashed with) gushed about her sister's band and how they were going on tour with The Breeders. They were called Melkbelly, and they didn't have an album out yet.
Fast forward to 2020, and their second album, PITH, saw release during our current predicament. It turns out The Breeders tour pairing was perfect, as Melkbelly's sound (and lead Miranda Winters' voice) is reminiscent of the Deal sisters' output, albeit slightly heavier and with a penchant for Brian Chippendale drums and time signature fluctuations. PITH is a superb distillation of the Deals' influence and Melkbelly's incredible knack for writing beautiful melodies, all sandwiched between distorted guitars and snare hits brought to the foreground. It's loud and at times jarring, but in the best possible way.
PITH by Melkbelly is out now on Wax Nine/Carpark Records. Please consider supporting the artist directly by purchasing their album.