There’s nothing subtle about Spliff Tank’s latest single. In the opening measures of “Lie,” an uptempo beat collides with droning guitars and a soaring melodic synth lead. Fans of 2010s garage-psych like Ty Segall and The Oh Sees will revel in the hard-driving playfulness on display.
By the time Brian Dickey unleashes his voice, the moshers in the front row are primed to hang on to every word. “All you do is lie,” he belts over the chorus — like Joey Ramone channeling the paranoia of early Ozzy.
But Spliff Tank is more than the sum of their influences. “Lies” is manic, heavy, cathartic and entirely original.