Taking their cues from the Fall at their most primal, Memphis four-piece Nots have hit upon a bracingly discordant strain of post-punk. Natalie Hoffman’s hollered vocals owe much to those of Bikini Kill-era Kathleen Hanna, while Alexandra Eastburn’s oddly lurching synths add another layer of chaos by appearing to be fighting against her bandmates’ contributions. And yet although they sound the part, on the basis of this breakneck 27-minute debut, the actual songwriting seems too much like an afterthought. Only the Sonic Youth-indebted White Noise and the more considered closer Talk Show have the hooks to lodge more than fleetingly in the mind.
