Atlantic Thrills Vices

With a riff that packs more beef than a fraternity BBQ and drips raunch like a cat house bidet, Atlantic Thrills' second LP begins with a warning against the dangers of staying sober on a weeknight and the invitation to indulge in your favorite cardinal sin continues across 12 tracks steeped in the legacy of the perverted American rock'n roll underground. There isn't a touch of irony here; while Atlantic Thrills make music that could be umbrella-ed under the catch-all "garage rock", they do it with a confidence that never retreats into novelty. The gang chorus in "Hold it Down" hits like a romance begun in a bar fight. The fuzz-gospel sermon of "Bible in a Bowl" makes utter sense after a breakfast of bong hits and amphetamines. Guitar player Mike Dominguez's sci-fi surf guitar (you'll swear it's an organ) haunts "Almost Anything" and "On Your Own" like the ghost of Del Shannon. "Dan Don't Go" and "Blood Shot Eyes" let the band flex muscles of a different sort, with clean, nimble vocal and guitar harmonies. Recorded in a basement, of course, but there's nothing "lo-fi" about the Thrills sound. Songwriters Eric Aguiar and Dan Tanner, rounded out with Josh Towers on drums, have created a precise, streamlined juggernaut of an album that nods to the best of 1965 while still sounding firmly footed in 2015. Like a bump of cheap coke or a downtown peepshow, it's over too soon and leaves you needing more.