In the music video for “In the Wawa,” New York four-piece Lip Critic play greedy record company executives who realize that the band (also played by themselves) has stolen from their master. Tracked by higher-ups, Lip Critic incinerated the CDs with a blowtorch, rendering them nothing more than molten plastic. The film exemplifies how the band approaches composition: like a hydra, severing one thread of influence only to sprout new ones to experiment with. On their debut record, Lip Critic throws it all at you – dance punk, digital hardcore, heavy noise – to see if it sticks. At over 30 minutes long, this album is one of endurance and pure adrenaline; the chaos that makes Hex Dealer exciting to listen to.
The orchestra was officially formed in 2018 while studying at the State University of New York at Purchase. Or even literal; frontman Bret Kaser recalls an online post complaining about the noise the band made while practicing on campus. Lip Critic’s style is similar to the raw, uninhibited acts of Death Grips, but their thematic interests also approximate the more raucous iterations of Brooklyn Models/Actriz. Death Grips’ influence is most evident on opener “It’s the Magic,” where deafening percussion echoes Kaser’s vocals and DG multi-instrumentalist Zach Hill on “No Love,” one of their best-known tracks. echoes the uncompromising, raw drum beats.
“Hex Dealer” is a loose concept album about predatory preacher types who resort to snake oil tactics to satisfy their desire for control. In this world, everything is a means to gain power, a façade to hide the true depravity of these characters. They numb their emptiness with excessive consumption; whether it’s brand new jeans in “It’s the Magic”, a trip to the butcher shop in “Bork Pelly”, or the ultimate gas station sandwich in “In the Wawa”.
The album is a masterclass in genre-hopping, spanning the gamut of drum and bass, hip-hop and ska music. It feels like Hex Dealer is a touchstone; take Lip Critic as is or not at all. When “Love Will Redeem You” bursts through the gates with soaring vocals and anxious percussion, it seems like things couldn’t get any rougher – yet there are still 10 more songs to come. “Heart” follows, the tempo speeds up, the drums are heavier, the noise is thicker and more suffocating. The conman at the center of the song struggles with his vices and, to Cassel’s urgent screams, convinces himself that he has not succumbed to corruption.
