Direct Hit!- Domesplitter

Direct Hit!’s debut album Domesplitter is a collection of what the fans voted on as the group’s most noteworthy tracks off of their first five split 7”s, rerecorded and reimagined with a new, consistent lineup and a concrete goal in sight. The band’s signature blend of anthemic pop-punk is fairly reminiscent of genre staples The Copyrights andScreeching Weasel, and when tied in succinctly with fellow pumper-upper Andrew WK creates an unpredictable slew of party punk with enough heart to keep you coming back for more. Domesplitter hits the nail on the head like none of the band’s previous short run efforts have been able to. In true Direct Hit! fashion, the listener is slapped in the face with the first “fuck you, get pumped!” before even the opening track has a chance to make an appearance, and again a mere five minutes later.

One can’t blame Direct Hit! for playing the role of the hype man. Domesplitter is carried by a relentless intensity throughout the whole 26-minute affair; this isn’t for the patient or over intellectual listener. Domesplitter is carried by the distinct urgency found in each and every track, even when the band decide to slow things down a bit. Direct Hit!’s slowest moments come just shy of the halfway point of the album with “Kingdom Come”, a loving track about taking out your boss at gunpoint and your coworkers with a pipebomb, all delivered hot and fresh overtop of a bona fide Mark Mothersbaugh-esque keyboard backbone. Of course the slowed pace doesn’t overstay its welcome, “Kingdom Come” is the second shortest song on the album.

Running a mile minute with many sets of gang vocal harmonies to keep pace, Direct Hit! might have very well released one of the most urgent and concise debut albums of the year (While Joyce Manor pose a serious threat, only one album has a 30-second clip from Home Alone 2).