Roüge Rouge

You probably forgot about Rouge. That’s understandable. It’s been two long years since these Berlin punks dropped their debut cassette. But the folks who were paying attention knew better. There was enough promise in that 2022 release to suggest they had more up their sleeve, and it was clearly just a matter of time before they were ready to share it. Well, that time has come. Once again they’re teaming up with Phantom Records, this time making things official with their first vinyl release. They’ve seemingly spent these last couple of years honing their craft--across the eight tracks on this release, they sound much more confident, bolstered by a production that’s a little more polished, though not necessarily slick. Still, they manage to make this a distinctly Rouge-ish affair, mixing the frenetic pre-hardcore punk of the Bags with the drippy garage of Thee Oh Sees and a heaping helping of contemporary Aussie-styled, po-faced post-punk/new wave and anchored by excellent guitar work and an energetic vocal performance. Good music for bad times! (Alex Howell)