Q And Not U: Different Damage

Q And Not U's debut album No Kill No Beep Beep, though excellent, was in ways almost comically Fugazi-esque, with two voices—one urgent and desperate like Guy Picciotto's, one urgent and stern like Ian MacKaye's—splayed over sometimes assaultive, sometimes reflective dub-punk. And it wasn't just the sound, but the situation: Q And Not U comes from Washington D.C., and MacKaye both produced and released the album. Before work began on Different Damage, bassist Matt Borlik exited and the mother of invention stepped in: As a trio, the band couldn't achieve Fugazi-like density, and instead of finding a replacement, Q And Not U adapted and evolved. The difference on Different Damage is clear from the outset. "Soft Pyramids" expands the band's hardcore influences while staying in the D.C. area, with sonic nods to the chilly pop of Unrest and even rhythmic elements of the capital's vibrant go-go sound. The song comprises four of the finest hybridized musical minutes of the year, entering on a sweet whisper, chugging through post-punk, and exiting on the lilting sound of melodica. It leaves the remainder of Different Damage with something to live up to, which it does admirably, for the most part. Rockers like "So Many Animal Calls" alternate with more contemplative, dub-inspired rock, but the juxtaposition rarely jars: Only Harris Klahr's frantically slurred turns on lead vocals, while believably desperate, slightly monkey-wrench the proceedings. It's a small complaint in the context of Different Damage's otherwise remarkable twists and turns.