Record review: The Bingers - 'Rhymes w/ Fingers'

By Gene Wagendorf III   

Right on the heels of last year's rollicking Land Lobster, The Bingers are back with Rhymes w/ Fingers, a three-track EP out on Wiener Records. On it the trio combine scuzzy surf, Buddy Holly-swagger and patient intensity, taking a logical step forward from their last release while buffering all the qualities that made that one so much fun.

"In A Thought" rolls out on a lazy lick, splashing about in reverb and cymbal crashes through an elegant denouement. Smart percussion keeps the froth focused and gives the track's airy vocals a platform to linger over. The Bingers really hit their stride on the tune- where solos that start off rubbery and tightly controlled burst into a shower of glistening notes against the singer's echoed cries. The band sounds like they're playing as if their very existence is on the line, and that desperation serves them well. What might've shimmered as a simple if forgettable '50s prom ballad is rendered immeasurably magnetic in the hands of The Bingers.

Those looking for a slacker love song will be pleased with "I'm Rich," a slightly more determined ballad with a Raveonettes-esque glow. As rocking as anything on Land Lobster despite the slower pace, the song is ripe with potential for the bevy of Valentine's Day mixtapes no doubt in the works. The tape ends with classic Bingers, a dirty, stomping jam appropriately titled "The Flying Shitshow Fuckfest Blues." Huskier vocals match schizophrenic guitar noodling, both of which are slapped into place by a tight avalanche of drums. Like any successful courtship, Rhymes w/ Fingers starts off clean and sweet and ends in a sweaty, tangled mess of sex. That isn't just hyperbole: the tape's release show a few weeks back at Cole's left the capacity crowd exhausted, smiling and slick with perspiration (among other things). A reputation for manic live sets can sometimes be an albatross for a band stepping into the studio, but on this EP The Bingers take everything they succeed at in person and deliver it to your headphones.

'Rhymes w/ Fingers' is out now and available for purchase digitally and on cassette here. You can see The Bingers live with Slushy and Jaill on Friday, February 9th at Beat Kitchen ($10, 9:30pm, 17+). Check out "The Flying Shitshow Fuckfest Blues" below.