College/Art Rock: Heros Severum's Plague Dogs

Heros Severum have no bass which makes it a little odd to say that the most immediate comparison I hear in their music is to Mike Watt—the bass-pounding voice behind the Minutemen, fIREHOSE, and elsewhere.

Like Watt, Heros Severum offer up angular rock with quirky, funk beats with Eric Friar’s spoken-like vocals. “Let’s Go Swimming,” the first track on Plague Dogs (their second LP), breaks down in fIREHOSE fashion with Friar’s defiant-yet-sarcasm vocal, “Escape the burning bridge into the water,” followed by the handclapping rhythm breakdown.

When Mandy Branch takes lead vocals on the funk-dance of “I Can,” there’s some hints of the Go! Team, without the sampling, and there’s also the odd little doo-wop backup vocal akin to something from Adrian Belew. The disco ball spins ever so fast for the speed dancebeat on “Dear Fearless Leader,” whose melody is built upon syllabic vamp singing.

Thank you to the Heros Severum and two Sheds Music for the review copy.