It isn’t very often that I find my first listening experience with a band being a live record, but with cover art like this and the always aesthetically enticing 10” vinyl format, I couldn’t resist. Besides, this is only the second album from Bricheros, so your odds are 50/50 on hearing them live.
The trio starts the set with the charged and fuzzy “Comb Over,” where an instant sing-along quality is present alongside the thumping drums and speedy melodies, and this formula continues to the more firm and bouncy “Narcoleptic,” as well as thick and pounding “Thin-Skinned.”
Moving along to the middle of the listen, “Boonies” brings a power-pop spirit to their straightforward punk rock template with furious guitar playing, while “Bricheros Stomp” offers an anthemic (mostly) instrumental that will get your head bobbin’ and toe tappin’ to the swift pace. “I’m Gonna Strangle You,” a Screeching Weasel cover, who the band certainly take influence from, then takes the snottiness out of the pop-punk classic and replaces it with grit and a little more power than the original.
Making our way to the end, “Caving” takes nods to the early days of punk with a firm guitar crunch amid punchy drumming and well-timed backing vocals, and “Bad Hombres” rounds out the performance with a memorable guitar solo tucked in between the gang vocals and driving rhythm section.
You might question the necessity of a live album this early into a band’s discography. However, one spin of Live At Hensley and it becomes quite clear that these songs captured live doesn’t detract from their highly memorable nature, and, in fact, might be best documented in this feral form.
Bricheros consists of Riko Suave (drums), Pinche Mono (bass, vocals) and Papi Chulo (guitar), who all met in their native Peru many years ago. They finally came together to form Bricheros in 2017, and their three chord ways and infectious pop punk spirit will make a fan out of anyone who knows who Ben Weasel, Dr. Frank or Jeff Ott are.
