Paint it Clear (2021)
Alien Nosejob
Australia’s Alien Nosejob has spent the past four years moving with grace between punk, rock n’ roll, new wave and hardcore. On his highly anticipated new album, Paint it Clear, the world’s most versatile one man band embraces ‘80s post-punk and power-pop influences with understated synthesizer melodies and explores the limits of his ever changing persona.
(Pictured Above: Alien Nosejob)
Paint it Clear marks the first Alien Nosejob release through the dominating DIY punk distributor, Feel It Records. The Richmond-based label’s current hot-streak includes the third record from The Cowboy, a new single from Sweeping Promises, and the latest LP from Man-Eaters. Over the past two years, Nosejob’s popularity has skyrocketed as he continues to experiment with playing styles. Last year, he released a hardcore record, Once Again the Present Becomes the Past, as well as Suddenly Everything is Twice As Loud, which was built around straightforward rock n’ roll. Feel It putting out Paint it Clear is the strongest American label representation he has had thus far, and this album is one of the most highly anticipated records the rising label has released in 2021.
From the opening tom-driven drum beat of the first song, “Artistic Vision” (above), it’s clear that Nosejob is once again redirecting his sound. Apart from the clear-cut symbolic name of the Paint it Clear album opener, it is also the most glam friendly approach he has executed thus far. When the Sweet-style drums are met with a piercing synth melody, his leap into power-pop already sounds fully realized. The last release from Alien Nosejob was the second EP in his HC45-2 hardcore punk series. Every project that sits in his progressive catalog has been unpredictable upon release, but Paint it Clear starts with an impressive evolution in “Artistic Vision.”
On “Crusader of Coles” (below), Alien Nosejob slows the pace of his typical punk-oriented delivery and channels it into an arena rock ballad. As the track’s chorus unfolds around the one-minute mark, there are multiple layers of synths backing his vocals, which are sung with heavy distortion and delay effects. Throughout the record’s eleven tracks, Nosejob strays further away from the tough demeanor of loud and fast instrumentation that put him on Australia’s DIY throne, and replaces it with psychedelia and intricate songwriting.
Alien Nosejob‘s most mature song to date, “Jetlagging” (below), is driven by a similarly toned synth melody behind a bedroom pop guitar section. Where the one man band mimicked the post-punk influences of bands like The Soft Boys on Suddenly Everything is Twice as Loud, “Jetlagging” aligns him with the likes of David Bowie. Nosejob has frequently demonstrated his superior skill as a guitarist on any of his previous releases, but Paint it Clear finds its strengths in minimalism. The synth melodies that push his sound in a completely different direction are never overwhelming, and often draw out over several measures.
Alien Nosejob danced around glam-related concepts on Suddenly Everything is Twice as Loud, but the additional synths that echo across his latest record escalate every aspect of his innovative songwriting. There are several DIY punk artists who play different styles, but Nosejob is one of the few who separates his chosen subgenre by release, and also releases projects at such a frequent pace. Whenever he has previously crept towards bedroom pop influences, he still heavily relied on punk rock roots. Paint it Clear shifts the Australian prodigy’s sound to the ‘60s/’70s experimental rock genres and is his most mature work to date.
©Total Trash Ltd, 2021
