White Lung

Received an 8.0 rating from Pitchfork. High-energy manic punks, WHITE LUNG, are back with their sophomore release, Sorry. Their 2010 debut It’s the Evil earned them the title as the primary ambassadors for Canada’s emergent punk scene receiving critical acclaim from CHARTAttack to Maximum Rock n’ Roll to Terminal Boredom and their follow-up does not disappoint. McCORKELL’s signature driving, off-kilter riffage paired with WAY’s snarling and aggressive yet melodic vocals and the hard-hitting rhythmic duo of GRADY MACKINTOSH on bass and ANNE-MARIE VASSILOU on drums amp up White Lung’s position from ambassadors to the queens (and king) of Canandian noise rock. Bowing to the inevitable need for comparison, according to Vice Magazine, “White Lung combine the feral energy of the Germs with the taut, wiry dynamics of the Wipers and have released a string of singles that keep improving in a bewilderingly exponential fashion.” Also present in their sound are golden era Kurt and Courtney, The Bags, and Rocket from the Crypt. This wealth of influences doesn’t mean the band’s sound is hard to pin-down. Written and recorded nearly simultaneously, Sorry manages to be both raw and complex, thanks to White Lung’s focus on cohesive writing. Sorry may have been stressful to record, but it’s a joy to listen to. It signals a new era for White Lung, featuring denser more melodic songs that maintain the rough edge of their punk pedigree.