Control Top – Covert Contracts LP (Get Better Records)

Ali Carter, Al Creedon, and Alex Lichtenauer are Control Top, unstoppable artistic machinery from Philadelphia, PA. Their distinguished approaches to sound are shattering all the way around and throughout the entire album called Covert Contracts, which is by the way, their debut full-length. Covert Contracts LP is so challenging to classify into just one circumstantial music genre, but I could comfortably say that punk rock is the most prevailing of them all. To be more accurate, Control Top is incorporating components of punk rock. post-punk, riot grrrl, noise rock, no wave, synth wave, no wave, electronica and a lot of other genres, but the sound is so compact altogether. Besides being compact, Covert Contract maintains enormous doses of effectiveness, aggressiveness, dominance, and chaos, but each ingredient is assembled to perfection. With Carter’s powerful roaring and marvelous post-punk basslines, Creedon’s turbulent shredding full of noisy cacophony, and Lichtenauer’s intense hardcore punk drumming technics, this album showcases ultimate uncompromising demolition hammer which shatters all the melodies into miniature pieces and delivers an enhanced version of chaotic post-punk music. Lyric-wise, Carter expresses her sentiments regarding being raised in capitalist patriarchy, dealing with modern age anxieties, exhausting depression, mass-media manipulation, plus many many more well-covered topics which struck civilization nowadays. Carter’s authentic singing capabilities demonstrate these opinions and emotions depending on a theme she’s covering, so vocals can be pitched, aggressive, but also peaceful and calmy at some moments. Covert Contracts is accompanied by the characteristic post-punk visuals comprised of the repeated band logo on the left and the photo of a handshake at the right side of the cover art. It suits the music and it provides feels of the eighties. Covert Contracts has been published on vinyl by Get Better Records, but it’s also available at all streaming services, so give it a listen and decide about it for yourself.