Militarie Gun are for the restless. On their debut album, Life Under the Gun, the Los Angeles band let a single guitar chord ring out–and then they’re off to the races. There’s a snare drum hitting on every beat, frontman Ian Shelton’s shout-sung vocals and, eventually, chunky power chords within the first 30 seconds of “Do It Faster.” That restlessness is equally clear throughout Shelton’s lyrics: “I don’t care what you do, just do it faster” he sings on one of the most satisfying choruses of the year. It only takes those first 30 seconds of the opening song to know that the five-piece is coming out swinging.
Formed during early 2020, Militarie Gun split the difference between hooky punk songs and fuzzy alt-rock, always maintaining a strong sense of aggression. Previously helming the pummeling, violent hardcore of Regional Justice Center, the new band is decidedly a change of pace for Shelton. On 2020’s double EP, All Roads Lead to the Gun, tunes like the title track or “Fell On My Head” were centered around simple, melodic guitar parts that could be mistaken for power pop. Throughout Life Under the Gun, the group’s songwriting has much more in common with the infectious guitar melodies of Guided By Voices or Buzzcocks than the viciousness of Napalm Death or Hatred Surge.
By taking a step away from the power-violence of Regional Justice Center, Shelton allows for his pop instincts to show. Underneath Militarie Gun’s hollered vocals and propulsive punk guitars is a catchy sensibility that acts as the band’s northern star. It allows for moments of calm in the storm in tracks like “Seizure of Assets,” where an acoustic guitar underlines verses about needless expenses and getting your car towed. “Return Policy” opens up into an Oasis-esque chorus that showcases shimmering guitar chords, while the main arpeggiated lick of “My Friends Are Having a Hard Time” could fit comfortably in a shoegaze band’s repertoire. There’s also the lovely final section of “Life Under the Gun,” which recalls the way Pete Townshend uses acoustic guitars on even the most anthemic Who songs.
These open textures allow for Shelton’s lyrics to feel more vulnerable, toggling across entanglements like addiction, anger, reaching out to friends and the disappointment of relationships. That vulnerability comes to an inevitable endpoint on the record’s penultimate song, “See You Around.” It’s the only part of Life Under the Gun where there isn’t a distorted guitar, but Shelton’s raw vocals fit just as comfortably over bedroom pop keyboards as they do over punk arrangements. When he howls, “Don’t you feel down?” towards the track’s end, it’s the most moving moment in Militarie Gun’s catalog yet. With its cleanly worded ideas (“Turn out the light, I think I’ve lost my mind”) and light touches of reverb-heavy guitars, the song proves the emotional potency of Shelton’s writing by stripping back the band’s most obvious strengths.
If the inclusion of a guitar-less song has you nervous, it’s important to know that Life Under the Gun never forgets to keep its foot on the gas. With “Think Less,” the record’s heaviest chapter, Shelton’s lyrics exclusively traffic in spite. “You pressed this on me, baby,” he sings, sounding sinister and tired. The band also resurrects “Big Disappointment,” a highlight from their previous EP, which starts with a jittery, awkward drum rhythm and slows down into a grinding bridge as Shelton sings about trying to live his life “with nothing to hide and no one to fight.” “Very High,” one of the record’s singles, opens with aerobic drum fills before Shelton shouts that he’s “pretty big on embarrassment,” all before an inclusion of his signature “ooh ooh” ad-lib during the second verse. Throughout Militarie Gun’s brief discography, Shelton’s infamous tag has become a rallying call, a personality trait and an energizing force that is deployed perfectly on Life Under the Gun.
In the final seconds of “Life Under the Gun,” where a major-key hook comes crashing into the end of the record like a superb plot twist, it becomes clear that these are some of the most vital rock songs of the year. For a songwriter like Shelton–who thought he was nearly done with music only 3 years ago–Life Under the Gun is an absurdly strong debut, jumping between anchoring drum beats, jangly guitars and explosive choruses with ease. After playing straight hardcore, directing music videos and a plethora of other creative outlets, Shelton sounds firmly at home in Militarie Gun.
Ethan Beck is a writer from Pittsburgh who is currently living in Manhattan. His work can be found at Bandcamp, No Ripcord and others.
