‘Life Under the Gun’ captures what it is to be an artist (or just a human) in a world that’s seemingly out to get you at every turn
On Militarie Gun’s debut LP, Life Under the Gun, frontman Ian Shelton isn’t afraid to turn his innermost fears and doubts into straight-up earworms. A long-time member of the hardcore scene — with his rusty nail of a band Regional Justice Center — the Seattle musician and his newest project have taken everything that’s uniquely cathartic about the genre and lacquered it with insanely catchy melodies, infinitely clever guitar riffs, and the kind of call-and-response energy that landed them a Taco Bell sync. That last detail might be enough to lead some of the more strident members of the punk community to dismiss Life Under the Gun entirely (Shelton’s oh-so memeable “ooh ooh” vocalization probably won’t help either), but those folks would be missing out on an album that uniquely captures what it is to be an artist (or just a human) in a world that’s seemingly out to get you at every turn.
Lead single “Do It Faster” — which features Shelton’s aforementioned “ooh” in heavy supply and the kind of snares that could reset your heartbeat — kicks your ass right into the fray, as Shelton bemoans a kind of pandemic-era morass of inactivity. The song’s chorus — “Waste my time/Waste my life/as I sit and wait for you” — leads into a final plea from Shelton to stop your moldering (and perhaps his own): “I don’t care what you do/just do it faster.”
Life Under the Gun ping-pongs between manic energy and crushing emotional lows (encapsulated in the mournful addiction song, “Very High”). The album chronicles all-too-relatable woes about the cost of living — like in the simmering “Seizure of Assets,” which sees Shelton seething at the “bloody bastard leeches” sucking his cash away as soon as he gets on his feet. And then there are ruminations on bad friends with knives in hand who are all too happy to keep “standing on my neck” — a lyric that perhaps calls back to Splendora’s theme song for MTV’s teen angst toon, Daria. And then there are the more cerebral, almost-sweet moments, like “My Friends Are Having a Hard Time,” a lilting track in the tradition of the Jesus and Mary Chain that finds Shelton whole-heartedly proclaiming: “My friends are having a hard time/Just wish it could change/I wish I could I help.”
You wouldn’t be wholly off-base if this record reminded you of snotty early Aughts radio fare — and Shelton probably wouldn’t be too pissed at you if you said it to his face. That said, Shelton’s lyrics are much more darkly relatable and heartbreaking than someone caterwauling about being their own worst enemy.
Still, there’s really no predicting where Militarie Gun’s sound will go next over the course of the album. “Return Policy” starts off with lumpy, almost ugly guitars and furious vocals before careening into the most radio-friendly chorus this side of Blink-182. “Big Disappointment” is a more straight-ahead hardcore track about being “addicted to rage” and, well, disappointment. “Think Less” blends gnashing vocals with a gliding sing-along chorus before Shelton rather heart-breakingly concludes: “List of people I fucked over/Think less of me/And I agree.” “See You Around” ushers in a “Strawberry Fields”-level melody, while, on title track “Life Under the Gun,” Shelton absolutely shreds his voice in the service of a final message: “A life of pursuit ends up pursuing you.” Life Under the Gun may frequently taste like candy, but, in the end, it’s a lollipop whittled into a shiv.
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