What is one to do when you have a stoner band and all the weed/leaf/smoke dubbed names have been taken? You go completely the other way of course and with the field wide open you surely deserve a medal for plucking Closet Disco Queen out of the ether. The name alone pulled me in, anyway. Hailing from Switzerland but sounding as baked as the Arizona desert, this two piece (Jona Nido and Luc Hess) have delivered a blissfully fuzzed out EP in Sexy Audio Deviance for Punk Bums. Choosing to shun vocals in favour of a pummelling guitar/drums approach, the three tracks spread across seventeen minutes serve as a fine taster to the intent of these Swiss boys.
Opening song “Ninjaune“ breathes into life in an atmospheric and cinematic fashion, before giving way to a skittish, edgy riff that sets the overall tone. The chunky, mangle fed blues that ensues eventually sharpens focus by the tracks end, paving the way for “El Moustachito“. Now we’re in classic stoner territory. This number is a real head nodder in the truest sense of the genre, perfect for the crowd that Closet Disco Queen will be entertaining at Desertfest in London later this month. There’s a lot more bite to this one, but Jona and Luc keep within the groove, resulting in what is surely their showcase song.
Last but certainly not least, we get “Delicieux“, where the boys really hit their stride. Lots of dusty tremelo and reverb added into the mix here, with the middle section offering a glimpse of a potential prog direction for the pair. There’s a telepathic connection between the two as they wrench the song back from the abyss and ride it home to a frantic conclusion.
With Sexy Audio Deviance for Punk Bums, Closet Disco Queen have confidently thrown their hat into the ring. A couple of vocal tracks next time around would make things really interesting, but for now there’s enough here to pull in a few converts.
Sexy Audio Deviance for Punk Bums is out now
