Ball of Wax 52 Songs: Xurs – “Bad Habits”

Seattle post-punk (or, as they put it, “angular weirdo punk”) outfit Xurs makes their Ball of Wax debut with “Bad Habits,” and I couldn’t be happier to have them as part of our scrappy crew. I think this is one of the band’s mellower songs, coasting along on a minimal, dissonant, somewhat motorik groove, its intensity rising and falling, but never quite exploding into the cathartic distorted release of some of their work. The second half of the chorus does have an almost triumphant major-chord feel to it, but still in a dark, subdued mode – picture Joy Division at their most anthemic.  This will sound like a backhanded compliment, but I sincerely appreciate the minimalism of this song, the way they’re almost able to make a two guitars sound like one. Figuring out when – and what – not to play can be just as much of a challenge, if not more so, than coming up with sweet tasty licks and dueling it out with your guitar hero buddy, so I applaud the restraint and deceptive simplicity of Xurs and their “Bad Habits.” This is a sneak preview from Xurs’s soon-to-come new album Cheap Future, so make sure to follow the band for updates.