After an equally five-star compilation of their first three EPs earlier in the year, Philadelphia quintet Sheer Mag continue their run of soulful, strutting garage rock classics. Whether they are indulging in Ramonesian street fighting, Thin Lizzy peacocking or jangling Mac DeMarco soft rock, some of 2017’s most tenacious earworms burst from every player.
They’re all anchored by irrepressible singer Tina Halladay, whose reedy hollering strains beautifully through a lo-fi mic. Her pent-up yet fulsome style is perfect for delivering arresting come-ons (Pure Desire; the title track), but also ass-kickings to “boys in blue” and “rich men in their white skin”, plus a heartfelt paean to anti-Nazi activist Sophie Scholl. Sheer Mag give you everything – socially conscious, sexually confident rock’n’roll that nods to pub rock, punk, funk, blues and 80s indie – and make it even more than the sum of its parts.
