Hygiene, “Hygiene” 7-inch

cover-hygieneMy favorite releases on Sorry State are rapidly becoming the ones that step outside their traditional hardcore boundaries. Brain F≠, Smart Cops, Whatever Brains, and now Hygiene — all bands that are definitively “punk,” but bring something extra to the genre rather than a straight three-chord attack.

Hygiene’s self-titled 7-inch features two songs, both self-titled. One’s a ponderous bit of a slog called “Hygiene.” The band’s Canadian, but this song is ever-so-British. The production’s left the song with rough edges, but “Hygiene” still manages to be completely free of distortion, fuzz, or echo. It’s fresh, not sloppy. Think the Modern Lovers’ calculated messiness.
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