Joker Card – Very Painful Tricks
Joker Card, or perhaps better known as Fireman, or Punk Revolution Now!, released Very Painful Tricks on the 7th of January, 2022.
The atmosphere is set spectacularly well with Talk, though Joker’s Flute steals the cake. The second song to come close is easily Joker Card Magick! Both these songs have vocals in common; something the remaining album is notably missing. Sadly, they also suffer from muddy mixing and repetitive deliveries/beats. Sanda’s Trick is easily the standout among the instrumental songs, adding splendid dynamics to overall darker sound.
The main drawback to Very Painful Tricks is its lack of unique percussion; while the soundscapes are impeccable, the beats do not lead them impactfully. Songs such as Alien Frog Thing and Guilty Pleasure Track paint a fascinating soundscape but are held together by baron and repetitive beats. Had Brentar paired them with his passionate electric guitars, they would have contained far more life. Moreover, he should take a note from Death Grips and add more acoustic instrumental.
Brentar is a skilled musician; with Joker Card he demonstrates an impressive range. The artist does a tremendous job at exploring industrial hip-hop and making is still sound fresh. Without a competent producer, though, the songs don’t quite “pop.” Repetitive sections often feel like copy-pasted material; a a compositional method that is exclusively enjoyable in acoustic recordings. I can imagine Fireman and Joker Card having a baby… a megalithic fusion of his work on Very Painful Tricks and aggressive punk rock. Hopefully he can imagine something similar, too.
Above Average
Listen to it here:
Joker Card – Very Painful Tricks
