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Mobina Galore

Feeling Disconnected

Written by: PP on 26/04/2017 23:02:43

Angry, pissed off, and true to its genre origins, Mobina Galore's sophomore album "Feeling Disconnected" sounds like a throwback to early 2000s Fat Wreck/Epitaph releases, particularly those by The Distillers (who were on Hellcat, mind you). A simplistic, no bullshit approach to hardcore punk with a few garage undertones, the duo's expression is fiery with female vocalist Jenna Preistner giving her male counterparts a good run for their money. Shouty, raw vocals that are devoid of polish but drenched in pure attitude and original punk rock rebellion plus a good amount of Riot Grrrl help create an insurgent atmosphere that should appeal to any anti-system punks out there.

But despite the angry vocals, the record is flavored with woo-hoo backing gang shouts ("Vancouver"), catchy guitar riffs, and few sing-along melodies to balance out the hardcore punk tracks. Whenever the band incorporates these fully into their songs, they are at their best and draw parallels to the better tracks by The Distillers, who are no doubt the biggest influence on Mobina Galore's sound. In fact, as a general rule of thumb, the more hardcore the songs on "Feeling Disconnected", the less memorable they tend to be. The best songs on the record combine the raw ferocity with melody. "Nervous Wreck" is the best example with its infectiously catchy sing-along chorus "Sometimes it's easy to forget that there's a life outside of this, you won't crash without me...", but the explosive "Going Out Alone" works well too with its good balance between melodic singing and razor sharp shouting by vocalist Preistner.

The record may pack a punch in terms of attitude and genre purism (simple three-chord approach and no additional flair), but it's two to three-minute approach to hardcore punk does lack longevity. The reason is simple: despite a few bangers, the record is too inconsistent to leave a memorable mark. For every good track on the record, there is another one that's far too generic and anonymous to stand out. As a result, "Feeling Disconnected" is a decent album but not much more than that.

Download: Nervous Wreck, Ready To Let Go, Vancouver, Going Out Alone
For the fans of: The Distillers, (old) AFI, The Donnas
Listen: Facebook

Release date 24.02.2017
New Damage Records