Album Review: Pulse - Monarch of the Plains

"Look in a mirror once in awhile. It's not that hard," snarls Alana Johnson on the Huntington Beach band Pulse's ferocious debut full length Monarch Of The Plains' second song "Just Like Hunter S. Thompson's Blues". This is a very high energy rock and roll band with hot potato garage and punk n roll flourish paired with rollicking surfy beats and a ton of attitude. I am loving the high energy injection that bands like Pulse, Vial or Amyl are bringing out to the forefront of the underground of late. So much more reflective and sharp lyrics and less patriarchal hierarchy than the tropes in a lot of hardcore that has turned more macho than community. 

"Mr. Boogie" talks about following your own vision amidst a lot of cultural banality and distraction, over a punchy drum kit. "Saw the newest film everyone said to see/but I left halfway through. They never speak to me." It also talks about fading convictions, which really speaks to me as a Gen X punker who has seen a lot of motherfuckers fall off. 

"Cheap Sunglasses" has this catchy intro riff that reminds me of Lit or Everclear in terms of catchy and simple earworm alt-ness, until it just gets way more grimy and howly in the band's tasteful, distasteful tyle. I also love how it says the next show is not far, only 800 miles away. That reminded me of how the Ramones would play like anything within like three states, or whatever the urban legend is.

Sidebar- Ava's guitar tone is fucking perfect for this subgenre and every song sounds crackling. They remind me a bit of seeing Jon Spencer Blues Explosion way back in the day with how careening and dry as a bone everything is. Also, this album's title coincides well with me waking up sick and laying in bed mad about how the mommy Titan X monster was mistreated on Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.

Hard af to pick a standout here as the whole album is a party. It's very quotable and re-listenable almost like how the first Arctic Monkeys was, just playing over in your head no matter what. So much energy and the band giving their all. If I had to pick I am very partial to the almost noise rock bashy intro of the blood curdling "Telltale Heart". Obvs not only a great short story, but now a rabid punk banger jugging anxiety and LSD anecdotes. And segues into an even dirgier song with a momentum that feels live and immediate.

Following up the excellent Pulse Is Over (If You Want It) EP with this banger just shows you how passionate this band is. Go follow them in Insta and let's run their numbers up, fam. Shout out to my friend Amelie from the band Birdie for getting me hip to this group! 

This album gets a 5/5 cans of peaches and whipped cream.