19.

J. Robbins

Basilisk

J. Robbins’ second solo record further departs from the aggro punk of the various bands he’s previously been a member of (most famously Jawbone – with which I’m only vaguely familiar), and sees him moving into much more melodic territory. That said, his punk roots are still there under the surface. While Basilisk doesn’t ever aim for anything all that ‘heavy’, a number of the tracks are still based on propulsive baselines and punk-style drumbeats (see, for example, the surprisingly sharp elbows of ‘Last War’ – which reminds me a little of some of the work of forgotten 90s geniuses Novocaine). Even on the mellower tracks, like the mumble-ballad ‘Not the End’ or the electro dirt of closer ‘Dead Eyed God’, there’s always a stripped back, DIY feel to act as a reminder that Basilisk is something of a punk rock record in disguise. It should be no surprise that it was released through legendary D.C. punk stable Discord Records, even though on the surface it sounds nothing like most of its labelmates. Lyrically, Robbins shoots for something quite personal and reflective here, often poetically (‘Counting glass tears on a passionless face…’). For the most part, anyway: like a number of 2024 releases, there are also existential concerns of a much wider scope, specifically regarding a potential looming apocalypse (‘No momentary grace, no hiding place’). I guess there’s quite a lot to worry about in the world right now.