Post-punk four-piece Protomartyr hail from Detroit, and their second record, Under Color of Official Right, does little to convince you otherwise. Like every negative stereotype attached to the Motor City, these fourteen tunes are a little menacing, fairly dispiriting and sporadically riddled with violence and petty crime.

That’s not to say Under Color is a particularly disturbing listen, just as visiting Detroit isn’t particularly depressing. While frontman Joe Casey scumbaggily spews lines about deadbeat dads and talking walls, the band does its best to soothe the pain with spirited drum rhythms and animated bass lines; standout tracks like “Want Remover” dare you to sit still, and most of the time their efforts get a boost from Casey’s throaty yelping and bombarding guitar chords.

Protomartyr is, for lack of a better term, a punk band. But with its ballads, rockers, screechers, and bummers, Under Color of Official Right rightfully eschews a lot of genre and band comparisons. And though the record drags in its back half — while only clocking in at a mere 30 minutes — Under Color of Official Right finds Protomartyr’s four too-smart snarlers stumbling into something pretty special. 

Protomartyr
Under Color of Official Right
Playlist Picks: "Ain't So Simple," "What the Wall Said," "Tarpeian Rock"
Riff-o-Meter75%
Ominosity88%
Likelihood this will spark an impromptu trip to Detroit29%
79%Overall

About The Author

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Andrew Brandt is the albums editor for Jonk Music and a former senior writer. He has also contributed to Pretty Much Amazing, Turntable Kitchen and Isthmus. Andrew eats Roma® Original Pizzas like they’re giant cookies.