Gothenburg has long been a factory for top-tier musical exports, but Waterboarding School feels like they’ve swapped the traditional Swedish pop precision for a crate of distorted pedals and a restless spirit. Their EP ‘Steer Clear‘ is a brilliant exercise in controlled chaos, blending the sharp edges of post-punk with a sense of humor that suggests the band is having way more fun than their name implies. It’s the kind of record that hits you like a sudden burst of static energy, unpredictable, slightly vibrating, and impossible to ignore once the first track kicks in.
The beauty of this project lies in its delightful tension; the rhythm section provides a sturdy backbone while the guitars swirl around like a swarm of very rhythmic, very loud bees. There is a specific kind of smart-aleck energy to the songwriting that keeps things light, avoiding the gloom that usually follows bands in this genre. Instead of staring at their shoes, the band sounds like they’re leaping over them, delivering a sound that is as frantic as a morning commute but infinitely more enjoyable to experience.
The heavy hitters on this release are undoubtedly “Living A Lie” and “Complaints,” two tracks that perfectly encapsulate the band’s ability to turn nervous tension into a full-blown party. The former builds a jagged, driving momentum that feels ready to boil over at any second, while the latter closes the EP with a wonderfully defiant energy that leaves you wanting to hit repeat immediately. ‘Steer Clear‘ is a fantastic introduction to a group that knows exactly how to balance technical tightness with a wild, infectious grin, making it one of the most refreshing releases to come out of the Swedish underground this year.
Links of interest:
https://www.instagram.com/waterboarding_school/
https://waterboardingschool.bandcamp.com/album/steer-clear
https://blackvalleyrecords.com/waterboardingschool/