Sweden’s Vardagshat don’t fuck around. Sharing many members from the fantastic Totem Skin, Vardagshat take a sleeker and simpler approach – play loud and fast crust. They don’t spoil their sound by chucking it into the blender with five other totally unrelated genres, but instead follow the lead of fellow Scandinavians Kvelertak and play with a simply undeniable energy and enthusiasm that translates better than any genre-bending ever could.
Glesbygden Blues is a mere 15-minute EP, but it promptly serves its purpose: kicking down your door, spilling booze everywhere, leaving cig burns in places you can’t unsee, and making you beg for more as they stumble out the door. D-beat stomps like opener “Laddparadise” and “Glasbanken” are broken up by grindy sub-minute blazers like “Glåpord” and “Förtidsruinerad,” wisely giving balance to a decidedly full-tilt spin. With a few sludgy forays here and there, scatterings of blast beats, and a vicious multi-vocal attack, variety is a constant and gives the EP unexpected brevity.
It’s nice to get back to the basics with some no-nonsense aggression, but it’s doubly pleasing when it’s so easy to get swept up in this EP’s fist-pumping anthems. Coupled with the fact that maybe it’s so fun because I can’t understand any of the lyrics, Glesbygden Blues is a headbanging good time worthy of crushing a few shitty beers with your buds before your next basement show.