Bianca (2021)

Weak Signal

The gritty appeal of New York City has led to some of the most pivotal acts in the history of rock n’ roll. From the psychedelic beginnings of The Velvet Underground to the contemporary noise experimentalism of Swans, the city shares an aggressively innovative sense of creativity. Post-punk trio Weak Signal is a product of this environment, and on their latest LP, Bianca, the band mixes the decades of harsh noise that are ingrained in New York’s impactful scene with straightforward alternative indie rock.

(Pictured Above: Tran (left), Mike Bones (Middle), Sasha Vine (Right) are Weak Signal; photographed by: Peter Smith)

Bianca was initially released as a limited edition tape in May of 2020, and also appeared on Weak Signal’s Bandcamp page, but was removed after a short time. Atlanta-based Colonel Records is now redistributing a slightly updated version of the group’s second record with a proper digital release as well as physical LP pressings. Colonel Records is no stranger to noisy mutations of garage and indie rock. Their catalog includes albums from Tournament, The Tough Shits, and most recently, Thousandaire. The label has been active for a decade, with its main focus in pressing vinyl rather than digital streams. Weak Signal strays away from hardcore and punk influences more than the other acts on the label, but their sound is rigid and moody making them a good fit for Colonel.

The album opens with bassist Sasha Vine assuming lead vocals on “I’m a Fire” (above). For the majority of the following tracks, Vine sings backing vocals behind guitarist Mike Bones. Their harmonic chemistry is similar to Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley. Kaplan may be the lead vocalist for Yo La Tengo most of the time, but the tracks that feature Hubley in the role are some of the band’s most memorable. Sasha Vine is Weak Signal’s equivalent to Hubley, making “I’m a Fire” an unconventional choice for an album opener, but also an attention grabber. Mike Bones’ voice rarely leaves the monotone vocal range, while Vine’s voice carries over the fast-paced track in a lively manner. When they sing together for the first time on the

“I’m a fire, I’m a fire, I’m a fire”

chorus, their artful harmonies meld gracefully.

One of the album highlights is it’s lead single, “Drugs in My System” (above) which was played on Iggy Pop’s BBC Radio show last year. The slow-paced track alludes to skipping out on priorities to get high, imbued with a hypnotic harmony for the chorus,

“I’ve got drugs in my system.”

Melodically, the song is structured upon bass-heavy and repetitive chord progressions, and it’s minimal build creates an ideal setting for Mike’s understated voice. The fact that Iggy Pop co-signed the single also makes sense, as Bones casual vocals mirror Iggy’s legacy fronting The Stooges. Iggy’s band frequently wrote songs about the mayhem that encapsulated urban America in the late ‘70s, and “Drugs in My System” is like a hazier take on similar themes.

While the majority of Bianca is delivered with some degree of ruggedness, there are softer moments as well. Tracks like “Come Back” stray away from any punk rock roots, with a nearly acoustic instrumental backing Vine & Bones’ harmonies. It’s Weak Signal at their most restrained, and it draws the Bones/Vine vocal duet closer to Broken Social Scene rather than The Cramps or Nick Cave. When they slow things down on the ballad, “I’ll Stay,” they maintain their dimly lit atmospheric sound, but the end of the track erupts with powerful guitar feedback as though they were possessed by a more ominous version of Slowdive.

Beyond a well-deserved reputation as a talented guitarist in New York’s music circuit, Mike Bones has behind the scenes credits for cult indie figures like Cass McCombs and large commercial successes such as Run the Jewels. His superb catalog is a testament to his ability to adapt to different genres, and Bianca is his most concrete example of versatility to date. On the album closer, “Too Strong” (above) the trio pushes their varied sound even further, with noisy pop guitar melodies and slightly delayed vocals reminiscent of early shoegaze pioneers, The Jesus & Mary Chain. Weak Signal has the ability to emulate the grit of proto-punk and no-wave bands from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, and Bianca warps these alternative influences using a number of staticky subgenres

(Video: Weak Signal, “Barely A Trace,” ; dir by: Tran)

©Total Trash Ltd, 2021